The Miracles and the Message, Part 2

Today on Summit life with Jeannie Greer. What part of the church's mission should be focused on healing all of its we been typecast as the antagonist of progress. We should be known for the healers of our city.

Yes, as faithful witnesses we must warn you preach unpopular messages, but all that should be done in the midst of massive outpourings of love and healing. As always, I'm your host Molly minutes whether money came to power your house. It's human nature for us to want what we think will make us happy.

I mean God's desire is for us to be happy and content. Without that we have right but today Pastor JD shows us that getting what we want is often not only what we need and there's a big difference in our series, Pastor Jenny is teaching us that you get the message that he titled the miracle to grab your Bible open to the book of acts, and let's get started.

Peter and John are going to the temples.

They also do as a going and they see a guy there that they say many times, but he's lame can't walk away from his birth so he holds up his hand and he says servers may I have some money on some right in the eyes and he says have any money. The poor you know about evangelist. He says by God's children will have a number. What I do have I give to you in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk and reaches out his hand to the sky to give him an opportunity to show faith reaches out his hand in faith, and grab hold of Peter's hand and the text says immediately release is jumps up immediately and doesn't know whatever the air and he starts jumping up and down a run around the Temple court praising God was because as you can imagine quite a commotion, because everybody knows this guy. He's been a staple in the temple for years and so this is big commotion and a huge crowd gathers to ask what's happening because all amazed and so Peter stands up verse 12 men of Israel, why do you wonder if this why you stare at us about our own power or piety we made this man walk the God of Abraham, and advising the God of Jacob, the God of our fathers is glorified his servant Jesus delivered over and denied in the presence of Pilate, when Pilate had decided to release him. You killed the author of life, God raised from the dead to this, we are witnesses to see his name by faith in his name is made this man whom you see and know he's made him strong in the faith that is through Jesus has given this man this perfect health in the presence of all of them out brothers. I know that you acted in ignorance, just like your rulers did repent then turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out and that times of refreshing may come from the Lord that he may send again the Messiah who has been appointed for you, even Jesus, the one you rejected.

Haven't had to receive him until the time comes for God to restore everything just like you promised long ago through his holy prophets. Verse 22 Moses said the Lord God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your brothers. You shall listen to him and whatever he tells you, and it shall be that every soul who does not listen to that prophet shall be destroyed from the people.

One commentator on that I was listening to, reading, and said that this Peter's explanation of this miracle shows you four different directions that this miracle points first direction is upward towards upward to God's authentication of Jesus verse 15 you killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead witnesses of that and by Jesus's resurrected name. That's all we can dispense strength to resurrect from his lame position to begin to walk through this miracle points forward to the future restoration Peter verse 21 says that this healing is a sign of the coming restoration of all things that God has promised the Jews would have recognized the healing of this lame man as a fulfillment of Isaiah 35 six when Isaiah prophesies the future restoration that God brings the world. He says it. Then shall the lame man leap like a deer. That's what's significant about the man getting up and immediately doing a car will which leads me to number three points inward points inward our souls into salvation the physical ailments of some point of the heart condition of all we see something more physically blind but Ephesians says were all spiritually blind the physical sickness of our bodies points to be inward sickness of our souls. Now I am not saying that if you have a physical element. It points to something uniquely wrong with you as if the reason you have the physical problem is because of a spiritual prop. I'm speaking in a general sense. I'm saying that the physical brokenness of the world you know all over the place is a sign to eyes of the broken condition of our souls and our disconnect from God.

What is physically sick or spiritually sick or wants to rinse his physical death. Because we are dead in our trespasses and said so the miracles of Jesus and the apostles on message about the salvation that Jesus can bring to our souls that the lame guy asked for money.

He thinks that's the greatest blessing he can get right of the money right and Peter says what time and money. What I do have a get something better I get some better ideas of the deeper rise up and will then the guy goes on to become a disciple of Jesus, you'll see that job for which is the greatest of all the gifts that Peter could've given to him. She is bad as physical suffering is there something worse and that is being crippled by our sin and as great as physical healing. Is there something even greater than physical healing and that is the salvation of your soul and reconciliation to God. If Peter had said anything about think about it. The store was written.

This way if Peter had said well sorry man I got any money. You know I can't physically heal you either. But I can tell you that if you trust Jesus, your sins are forgiven and that you will have eternal life that you might read that and think what much less moving.

That's much less spectacular. But is it in the salvation of the soul and the promise of full restoration a greater then any temporary miracle.

Shirley has improved. You will easily this guy sitting by the table each day. Look at everybody walking by, and I'm sure he had to start if I could just walk. I would never be unhappy again. Dr. you walk there been unhappy. Okay so walking does not equate happiness just got father walk from all the men concludes that that's, lame, no quantitative right will have something that we think if we just did not think it will satisfy us, but many other people have those very things and are not satisfied because we need something more than physical healing. We need something more than money. We need something better than great relationships restoration to God as bad as physical suffering is a something worth being crippled by our sin as bad as is for Zora's greatest physical healing is something greater, and that is restoration to God like I will tell you this physical healing without soul healing is worthless, potentially harmful. Satan will gladly alleviate the suffering of your body. If you can coerce you into you suffering eternally apart from God. So let me tell you what I could say to you the ability to physically heal.

I may not always have, but what I do have salvation in Jesus Christ forgiveness of sins, peace, intimacy, friendship with God and inheritance incorruptible that cannot be taken away the power of new life in your family and marriage of power to lease you from addictions that I freely give to you is that not the greatest of all gifts. Five.

A friend of mine sent me a few years ago we having lunch and he and his wife and cheated on left him in the southern tears in his eyes saying we pray with me that my wife will come back and course.

I told him I would.

He said to the greatest pain greatest pain I could ever experience in this world as it is to have someone I love like this turned her back on me and forsake me the question at this point I'm soliciting.

Try to be his friend came back to the cities of this greater me than a child.

I think when my children dies is to have somebody that have given my life to just stab me in the back.

He said came back to become which letters I was wrong is a God, help me see that the greatest pain that I would ever experience to be separated from him and God use this to bring me back to himself, says he not store my wife to come back he submitted. She never comes back to me and this is what God had to do in order to get my attention. To be reconciled to him I will one day call this the greatest blessing that God ever gave whatever pain you're going through the richest of all possessions is to be reconciled to God through Christ. I may or may not be able to give you physical healing see that your sins are as scarlet Jesus can make them white as snow, and I give you that you're getting your trespass is a sin to make you alive to God in Jesus Christ. I may not be able to give you that perfect relationship maybe. Maybe we can but I may or may not be able to give you that spouse maybe like one lonely but is that a spouse be happy. I may or may not be able to give you that. What I can point you to is that great love which will never leave you or forsake you. This is when you walk to the valley of the shadow of death I will go with you. You pass the fire not be barbecue while the water does not overcome you as I grade you are my hand.

I may or may not be able to give you riches. I may or might be able to lead you to the great money, but I think you and inheritance incorruptible to never take away the greater the money. I may not be able to stop your physical death. You know what you are buried with him by baptism into death, just like Christ is raising the devil to glory the father so you to also walk in newness of life and those you live and believe in him will never truly die satisfied that's greater the silver and gold of like that's greater than physical healing. You want that kind healing you want it to.

The same way and reached out my hand.

You like. Every service vessel having reached out her hand and said you wanted do you want you just take Jesus's hand and the healing is given my time point upward.the medication Jesus points forward to the future coming restoration appointed inward to our souls to salvation.

Lastly, points downward in the direction that were supposed to go in our mission points downward the direction you were supposed to go as a church in our mission eating Peter and John got rewarded for this marital bad news for Max and referral bad news. The miracles and ask always the miracle worker in trouble points look at.

Not a single time. Not one time visit here however turn out good for the diluted right. John this guy they met in prison.

That's different than other hero stories that we want to tell right marble you tell Marvel story when someone in our hero stories get superpowers.

Their powers typically make them invincible. But when God gives you power it makes you vulnerable as power comes into you, you start to suffer in order to relieve this man's suffering. The apostles had to suffer themselves. He got healed he got the blessing they got put into prison same is true. Jesus's ministry was not allowed for the clearest example is John chapter 11, when Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead. Notice that John points out, it was at that very hour that the Pharisees plotted to kill him nearly showing you in order to get Lazarus out of the grave.

Jesus put himself in no call that substitution greatly. Jesus did in their borders on account says it is walk along when he grabs him of his garment, and the power goes out from him wiser phrase that way she had to leave him the power in him has to leave him in order for her to be healed. One voluntarily suffering, so that another lives. Substitution Jesus poured out his life so that we to be safe, Peter and John, the presence of this guy can walk healing for the world comes as life and power and money and opportunity go out from us, we are supposed to pour out our money and power and opportunity in genuine sacrifice we enter into other people's pain burying it absorbing it.

If we can, and they are fueled through that it is a great spiritual truth that is you will learn this. It would explain so much in your life. The healing of the world comes to the sacrificial death of the church, God brings people around you into life the same as you like. Do you Jesus.

Life went out for him and you are saved is life and money and power go out from you.

They will be saved. Is it or somebody you need to forgive in order for you to forgive them. It's gonna cost you is about a piece you're sober that's good to be the means by which God brings life. Maybe that person may be to their family. Maybe your family is life only comes to death by your suffering becomes a way that other people see the beauty of God in you because they start to see that your suffering shows that you can have a joy that is not dependent on physical healing. You have a joy does not depend on which is you can have joy does not depend on a good marital situation. You have a joy to goes deeper and better and broader than those things. Joy found in knowing God, and sometimes that shows people.

The beauty of God in a way they could see it any other way. And so, yes, God allows you to suffer, and it's not as you did something wrong because God is pointing you to the cross and saying as you suffer other people live so you're going to suffer so that they can see the beauty of who I am not Sessa. That's the meaning of this miracle for different things. All the miracles really like it was offered to God at that occasion Jesus supports forward to the coming restoration appointed inward to the inward healing that we all need many points downward to the mission there were all supposed to be about to have them learn what we were using what we just learned. Let me answer a handful of questions about how to get about healing all based on those principles. There, I got a letter May through whatever on a does God still heals today.

Yes. Yes, there is nothing in the Bible, not one word that indicates that he has stopped BY just got healed. Why does he heal you five things on these eloquently retaken notes right Dragon outsourcing that unites in physical healing.

I can talk you later would only be on what you say. Note to note that on the print number one as an act of love and mercy to the person who suffering is God today as children suffering hurts. John 11 Lazarus dies is a first for the great weeping things like that with your pay. Sometimes God heals just as an act of love and mercy to the person who suffering number two. Sometimes it's a validation of the servants is a validation of the servants number three, a sign of the coming kingdom of God. Number four is a witness to non-Christians, sometimes as a warning to them to pay attention to Jesus and sometimes as an invitation for them to come home to him.

Number five, to motivate Christians to worship the five reasons of God heals are all equally valid, all God may do one or another of them in a particular physical healing now only say something I don't like does that mean if you believe that God still heals that you have to believe every time you hear somebody else's miracle report no God never made me the referee other people's miracle so and I'm glad that you want to be there so I just believe that God does miracle sometimes like I can't deny them.

Sometimes I just reserve judgment. My why. Glad you believe that was a miracle in him and rejoice for what you think I did but I don't have to necessarily believe everything about Joseph that you needed to hear that, but you have ears to hear C okay, ceilings like the one in Act III be our everyday expectation as much as I want to say a flat yes to that because God can do anything and as I mentioned before, there is not a word of Scripture that indicates he has stopped as much as I want to say just a flat yes to that also want to help you.

Be realistic solely point you a couple things that cautious alerts, studious Bible student will notice about this.

First of all jurors that Peter in the story feels on demand and ask God for these. I hate you get up as you go to the book of acts you will find that level of power and intensity among the apostles saving even throughout acts 412. The last letter that Paul wrote what puts us in verse in their trophy ministries about he is traveling with him. I left at Miletus sick University. With that in Hebrews 1.1 thing about this verse to verse three.

Our great salvation was declared at first by the Lord and attested us by those who heard maybe a bottle. God also bearing witness by signs and wonders of marriage miracle by the gift of the Holy Spirit during this season and ask God gave an unusually heavy endowment of power for a time to authenticate the fact that he was speaking these words of the apostles and authenticate his new message that does not mean I never do these things anymore.

He most certainly knives and I've experience of others things just that we should not expect them to be as regular or normative all the time like they were in acts because that was by any estimation a very unique time. I would suggest you do, since it always fear that you offer to pray for people that are being physically healed, but recognized that there was unique. In history for God. Hebrews was authenticating a new message by the special signs and wonders D should hope of supernatural healing ever replace normal medical procedures never, never, never invite a little interesting tidbit, but I wrote these words and ask brother's name was Lou job was.

He was a doctor, so Paul traveled all traveling to make Paul travel with a medical doctor. Whenever I pray for people that are sick, you almost always pray two things at least two things. My one. Do either through a natural means by giving the doctors wisdom are doing through supernatural means, but is doing what befuddles the doctors event the docketing energy right now.

Pray that God will help them see what he wants in the note to the suffering that always pray for both and you should never ever ever ever use a hope for fair for supernatural healing as an excuse to avoid the natural cures because God gave us brains and he gave aside to give his medicine I and he's in that healing process to E where everybody praise and faith receive healing yes and no.

Eventually, yes, because the day is coming when God will restore all things from the dead in Christ will be raised incorruptible, when there will be no more disease or pain or crying. God will wipe away every tear yes and long-term in the short term now God. You see, sometimes has bigger purposes on earth and giving us physical healing. Sometimes he allows us to know him better, to the pain we experience in this life.

Sometimes he uses that pain to bring life to others. Like I explained to you.

I know it's severe for you and I might try to downplay that at all. But if you could see the greatness of the gift of God is given Christ. There is not a suffering moment on life that you would not see extra stifling compared to the glory of what God has given us the babies write that down. How much you believe the gospel is measured by your ability to be joyful in all things and put in parentheses especially pain how much you understand the gospel as demonstrated by your ability to be joyful in day thank S what part of the church's mission should be focused on healing.

What part of church mission to be focused on healing all of it, all of its which brings us back to a restart of this message. We been typecast as the antagonist of progress. We should be known for is that healers of our city.

Yes, as faithful witnesses we must warn and we gotta preach unpopular messages and sometimes I don't write editorials about us and him to get hate mail on your behalf right. I realize that but all that should be done in the midst of massive outpourings of love and healing. I have told you before, our community say about us. We may not believe what those crazy people to summons her sleep, but thank God you're here is a vitalizing of the ways our taxes in the city and she rises it this way.

He says the message of the gospel is much more believable when it is demonstrated simultaneous to preaching it in physical acts that healing the world that is looking to create the message becomes believable when you're proclaiming Jesus loving sacrifice and healing with our mouth but they were demonstrating it intangible ways to how we love and serve in reviewing others. We do these things because it's about the message to dance well close. Are you listening to the message. Are you listening to the message Michelle.

These things would appoint you to the fact that Jesus Christ loved you so much again to earth to die for your sin he took upon himself.

What you could never pay the pay for your sin by becoming same for you emptied himself so that he would suffer an eternity in hell. On the cross in your place, and he resurrected from the dead to put your life back together to restore you to God it's all about that. Have you listened to hear that you ignore him, you written him office about your to get to when you're older and you start think about that stop because every person who does not listen to this problem will be cut off from among the it's all about the message. Have you listened to Jesus any longer. He is real he wants is your heart you're listening to some it life. The Bible teaching ministry of pastor, author and theologian Jeannie Greer.

We hope you'll join us here as often as possible that you ever miss a message retaining ring you can listen online, free of charge. When you visit Jamie Greer.com today would like to get in the very important resource into your hand in the personal study guide book of acts, volume 1 questions and painful commentaries will help me think through how you can reach the lot will be glad to send you volume 1, accident guide now to express their financial donate by calling 866-3352 28, six eggs, 335-5220 easier to get online near.com on the website. You can write about becoming members of our JV cream ministry interval only through radio ministry online is a growing ministry we desire more gospel partners to join in helping others through the when you sign up for regular, ongoing gift of $25 and you become part of our gospel join with us today and Molly motivates tomorrow when thinking about seems like a contradictory, but we're learning what here on Senate line