Intro:

• Today we are believing for healing and miracles.
• Why does the church believe for healing and miracles? Because this is HUGE part of the ministry of Jesus. 

Message:

• Reference a few weeks ago we summarized the ministry of Jesus 
  1. Teaching, Healing, Deliverance, Purpose, Hope
• Today we want to focus on the Healing aspect of Jesus’ ministry 
• America spends 4.3 trillion dollars a year on healthcare. We need HEALING! 
• Top reasons people don’t believe God for healing:
  1. All miracles have ceased.
  2. Maybe it’s not God’s will to heal me. 
  3. I don’t know how to believe for a healing. 
  4. I’ve been disappointed in the past. 
• Today, I want to inspire your faith to believe God for a healing. 
  1. We know Jesus healed many people during His earthly ministry.
  2. We know He hasn’t changed in how He feels about people. 
  3. His Word promises healing.
  4. We’re seen Him heal. 

Four stories of healing:

• Story #1 - The Leper - The Power of His Will
  • Matthew 8:1–3 (NLT) — 1 Large crowds followed Jesus as he came down the mountainside. 2 Suddenly, a man with leprosy approached him and knelt before him. “Lord,” the man said, “if you are willing, you can heal me and make me clean.” 3 Jesus reached out and touched him. “I am willing,” he said. “Be healed!” And instantly the leprosy disappeared.
  • There are Tens of millions of Christians right now that have a sickness in their body and the reason they will not believe for a healing is because they believe it isn’t the will of God. 
  • Faith begins where knowledge of His will is known! 
    • You can’t believe for something you aren’t sure about. 
  • Let me challenge with a few questions
    • How do you ascertain what the will of God is? Are you waiting to see results before you believe? 
    • When you believed God for salvation, did you ask God if it was His will to save you? When you pray for lost people to be saved, do you pray, “if it is your will?”
    • If healing is against God’s will, are not all hospitals in open rebellion to His will? We prove every day that we believe He wants us healed.
  • Our faith must be attached to His Word “I am willing.” 

• Story #2 - The Centurion - The Power of His Word
  • Matthew 8:5–10 (NLT) — 5 When Jesus returned to Capernaum, a Roman officer came and pleaded with him, 6 “Lord, my young servant lies in bed, paralyzed and in terrible pain.” 7 Jesus said, “I will come and heal him.” 8 But the officer said, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you come into my home. Just say the word from where you are, and my servant will be healed. 9 I know this because I am under the authority of my superior officers, and I have authority over my soldiers. I only need to say, ‘Go,’ and they go, or ‘Come,’ and they come. And if I say to my slaves, ‘Do this,’ they do it.” 10 When Jesus heard this, he was amazed. Turning to those who were following him, he said, “I tell you the truth, I haven’t seen faith like this in all Israel!
    • Jesus was WILLING to go. 
    • The man showed faith in the WORD of God
  • Most important things to note about this story
    • Faith matters - 10 of the 19 healing miracles in the gospels were done “according to their faith.” 
      • Faith often hinders what God wants to do 
        • Nazareth
        • Epileptic boy
    • This man impressed Jesus very much because He understood the principle of authority. 
      • All of Jesus’ miracles were done by this principle of authority. “I will prove that the Son of Man has the authority to forgive sins.”
    • He was content with a WORD! 
      • He was willing to leave and go home without even seeing the miracle because He believed the WORD. 
      • Are you willing to take a Word from God and go home with assurance? 
      • Dodie Osteen - 62 healing Scriptures

• Story #3 - The Fever - The Power of His Touch
  • Matthew 8:14–15 (NLT) — 14 When Jesus arrived at Peter’s house, Peter’s mother-in-law was sick in bed with a high fever. 15 But when Jesus touched her hand, the fever left her. Then she got up and prepared a meal for him. 
  • The touch of Jesus healed many
    • The leper at the beginning of this chapter
    • The woman with the issue of blood. 
    • The laying on of hands was mentioned at the end of Mark as a sign following those that believe. 
    • In James we are admonished to lay hands on the sick. 
    • The great news is, His presence can touch and heal you. 
  • He REBUKED the fever - In Luke’s gospel, Jesus speaks to the fever and rebukes it. 

• Story #4 - The Multitudes - The Power of His Sacrifice
  • Matthew 8:16-18 (NLT) — That evening many demon-possessed people were brought to Jesus. He cast out the evil spirits with a simple command, and he healed all the sick. 17 This fulfilled the word of the Lord through the prophet Isaiah, who said, “He took our sicknesses and removed our diseases.” 18 When Jesus saw the crowd around him, he instructed his disciples to cross to the other side of the lake.
    • He BORE our sicknesses. Where did He bear them? To the cross
    • If you see Him on that whipping post, ask yourself the question “Why?” He was beaten for our healing - Isaiah 53

Steps of action for someone with sickness

1. Come to Jesus
2. Believe it is His Will
3. Take Him at His Word
4. Receive prayer from His people.
5. Thank Him for His sacrifice