2019-10-20-LIVE OAKS - Miraculous: Healing

just sounds right there just sounds. But yet with with your truth the power Holy Spirit words can can bring Faith in and bring life to ears that you open two hearts that you soften. two eyes from which you pulled scales and and blinders and I just pray that that would happen this morning. I pray that you would be proclaimed that who you are would be made known. And not just helpful tips. Oh my goodness are so many places from which we can we can find helpful tips to make our day a little better. I don't want our day to be better. I want our lives to be changed. I want you to be glorified and I want joy to come to the people that you resurrect to do that in your proclaims word this morning speak through me if you can speak around me if you have to but do speak and give us two ears to hear your name. We pray I'm in this week were talking about miraculous healing and I don't trust in in rehearsing things, but I do trust in the intersection of God's prompting and preparation and just his Providence. So when I was writing this outline to sermon series many weeks ago right around that time this young lady Madison, Maddie is I know her she and Sam walks through the door and I immediately. I had this park. This. Shilling is something that Maddie has experience in a powerful way in her life. And I knew that I just wanted her to come up and just share a little bit of her story.

Of the intersection of her life and disease and and God's awesome sovereignty. So Maddie if you could come up. See if this microphone works.

You can step all the way up here if you like. Well, I think it's funny that Tommy use the word intersection because the first encounter that I had with God really using Tommy to remind me that things are going to be okay with my freshman year of high school. I got hit by a car and super long story short is in the hospital and everybody's coming in to check on me a youth pastor. Tommy comes in and leans over and I'm thinking it's going to be something profound and it's your new nickname is speed bump. I have a nickname of speed bump all throughout high school. So ironic that you use intersection, Mommy. I caught that something that a lot of in high school was the word sovereign. It was the first time that I had heard the word sovereign and he use that all the time and just the idea of God being Sovereign with something that I didn't totally bought into but I never really got to experience it until 2013 when I was 20 years old. I was getting ready to take off to an internship in California and my grandfather who bathed who helped raise me. He wasn't. And my wife was diagnosed with cancer and it's already watched him fight and Grandpa ultimately ended up and passing away a couple of months later. But the same month that he passed away. I went into the hospital with chest pain and I'm just thinking I hadn't pulled some muscle and I'll be working out that I don't do and they scan my chest and they came back and said you have a massive tumor in your chest. And we need to do the biopsy immediately did the biopsy and scans came back pretty quickly that I had Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. And I remember the doctor walking into the emergency room giving us this news and it was a very out of body experience for me. I felt like I was kind of just watching it happen to myself. But also I was very much I pee Switch was very odd. I have seen obviously I'd see my grandpa go through it and just seen what it cancer diagnosis can do to somebody's life and bringing peace to it has not really been one of those things so immediately and Romans 8:28 comes came to mind about God working everything out for the good of those who love him and it seemed like I just started to download all of it. Tommy's messages about God's sovereignty right back into my head and okay God's not surprised by this. He didn't see me walk into this Hospital go shoot. She just got cancer he knew and he had plans for it. He had already purposed it and I had the piece from the get-go whether I lived or a died. I knew that God had plans for every step of it and it also seemed that throughout the whole I did chemo and radiation for about 9 months and it seemed that through those nine months any time that I Would start to get a little panicked or get a little bit of anxiety. He was always right there. The first time that I think that I really broke down about the diagnosis and Grandpa passing was the day that I lost my hair. I woke up and is many conversations as you can have with doctors and other people about losing your hair. There's really nothing that can prepare you for it as a 20 year old girl. So my hair was all over my pillow. I was a wreck my mom and I just went and got it buzzed off. I came back to my apartment. On the couch and I bawled my God. What are you doing? Why do I have to do this? And within a matter of At 30 seconds. Maybe I'd a text from a girl that I let a high school small group for and she said hey, I don't know what you're up to but I just found these notes from one of the groups that you lied one Wednesday night and she sent me pictures of it and it was 1st Peter 4 which talks about your beauty not coming from elaborate hairstyles, but from your enemy relationship with the Lord and so things like that happen throughout the course of those nine months and I was blessed to hear the words. You're in remission February of 2015, but it was also those words were a gift but they were also in charge over my life to go back into the young adult cancer generation and be able to say hey like a guy that has the ability to make this cancer a peaceful time for you. God has the ability to make this not as hard as the world and culture is telling you Should be and so that's our ultimate goal in the ministry that I get to be a part of we get to go. Tell these young adult. Hey, you're in the middle of a cancer battle, but God still sees you then so getting to work with these patients for the last four years has been incredible. It's completely opposite of what I was going to California to do my internship for but isn't that God really wreck your plans and send you somewhere else and I can stay if you've been affected by cancer. I don't know if your leftover hurting your hard. It may be easy to look at me. They believe she's alive, of course, it was easy for her to sort easy for her to talk about cancer being peaceful, but I'm going to speak also on behalf of Kayla and Sabrina and John 3:3 patients that we were able to serve that became close friends of mine. Love the Lord so much and in the middle of their cancer bottles were constantly looking for him and constantly experiencing this piece and over this past year, all three of them have passed away, but I can say that Tommy's playing of the diagnosis being the miracle and not the healing. I would say that all three of them. including the word I don't know. We're gifted with cancer to be able to experience this desperation for God and then to experience Miracles and to get into the mindset of just constantly looking for him. I think it's easy to kind of bypass things or living regular life. I honestly think I was better at looking for a guide when I was in the middle of that of all of that. Then I am now it just seemed like there is a desperation for God that came with cancer. So that's a No-No. Just uses the things that you do. Just wouldn't even imagine to bring you closer to him. But like I said, I look at it and I have looked at it from the get-go as a gift because of how Sovereign God has and how good he is. And I think it's what you said a couple weeks ago. Do we trust him or do we not you know, it's a matter of saying yeah God, I just got this diagnosis, but I will trust you. Yeah, I got my loved one is coming through this but I'm going to trust that you can take better care than I can and that you are going to see them Williams alternative trust God's it to see us, you know, we have to look for him. So

Sigourney Weaver I'm going to pray. I'm going to pray or Jesus. Thank you that your church is just a parade of change lives. And I pray that we would just be able to celebrate each and every person that you have moved in and through to bring herself glory and bring all of us joy. There's not a one of us in here that hasn't been encouraged. It's already there. If there's more blessing to add to Maddie suffering blessing that came through Maddie stuffing. So thank you for choosing her. To Bear a burden that brings us joy.

Play amazing Miracle it is. That you will use us. You will use us to show the world who you are. So I bless Maddie and thank you for her and send her out to continue sharing of your goodness and your mercy and your love and your sovereignty. Thank you for saving her from the car and the cancer your name. We pray I'm in I'm in thank you. Thank you.

start a John chapter 9

John chapter 9 starting in verse 1 as she passed by he saw a man blind from birth and his disciples asked him Rabbi who sinned this man or his parents that he was born blind Jesus answered. It was not that this man send or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him.

The understanding was that if someone was was bearing of a burden if someone was suffering it's because they did something wrong. This is God's justice, right? They send her their parents and and because of that sin blindness boom judgment, right? Jesus is saying no, The reason the reason that this happened is not because of his sin or his parents in the reason for this blindness is for my glory but that the works of God might be displayed in him. Now Brokenness is caused by sin and what I mean by Broken, this is what you know, what broken this means, you know, what broken this is every one of us has experienced that in our lives in one way or another from from child to mr. Cornelius, praise God that you're still with us sir. I mean all of us have experienced Brokenness in one degree or another and that broken this is caused by our world is falling because of sin and because we live in a fallen broken world, we experience Brokenness. But here's the thing. That's so Insidious about Sin. the Brokenness that you experienced It might not be caused by your sin at all. Or you can send it is like a drive-by shooting where random bullets just zipped through houses and take out children. No, such thing as ultimately privates in that doesn't affect anyone else.

Since a boomerang it does come back to you, but this is long Arc to do so.

God is Not maliciously keeping score and in in your suffering is not some kind of direct proportion to your sin. Shim just has caused Brokenness and we live in it. We live in a world that's been broken by sin and we see evidence of it all around. Our first parents believe the lies of our first enemy, they send and ushered in our first reality death. Which I mean sounds really depressing. That's a doctor write death is our first reality look so we were born into that reality of death and and we willingly participate in in in in perpetuating it and improving it out because there's not a one of us. That's without sin right not a one of us is without sin. Sin, and death. We we live in it we student and some of our sitting is more dramatic than others and some of our sin manifest itself more tangibly than others. But look not every house fire is arson.

Not every house fire is arson if your home is a blaze. It doesn't mean that you played with matches or or left the straightening iron plugged in all day.

This what what? Excuse me?

our house of Flesh It's a house of sticks. It doesn't take a lot of huffing and puffing to blow it down. That's just reality that's reality in this Fallen world right now. Chilling one degree Or Another We're all born blind. And we've experienced it and we know it but first Jesus wants you to to to let go of that burden thinking that that God is just very accurately throwing darts at sinful bullseye.

And know that you're suffering. your blindness It's for God's glory. That's the reason that's the that's the purpose is for His glory and ultimately for our joy. What Jesus also wants us to know is that not being healed? It is not a failure of the correct prayer if you've prayed for healing and not received it is it doesn't mean that you prayed wrongly. Right nor is it a failure of God to hear correctly?

Brother Cornelius in in the men's bible study a few weeks ago told us of a pastor. Who was fired? The day he had a massive heart attack. Because the Elders of that church said if his faith was great enough. He wouldn't have had the heart attack.

Jesus why did this man almost died from a heart attack? Was it his sin or his wife's sin?

Amanda. Almost died because of a heart attack this died for my glory and his Joy you can't see it. You might have to look closer.

So what am I getting at? Or at what am I getting?

The miracle of healing in your life might be the disease itself.

God is our father. Amen and fathers give their children good gifts. If you have something. It is a gift of God's hand or his allowance.

If something happens to you got a loud it to happen to you and talking about a sovereign God in this is a whole nother post of sermons and probably got two thousand years of doctor in a Theology and biblical study if we're talking about a sovereign God is there really a tangible material difference between God allowing something and God willing it and God causing it and that's a very uncomfortable spot the very uncomfortable thought. God is Sovereign and he could have said no to Satan when Satan approach God and said hey, can I have flip Jobe? That could have said no remembered exchange that that Jesus had asked me. for permission to sift you like wheat, but I prayed for you.

What happened to but I told him no. Just but I prayed for you that your faith may not fail and when you have been restored will bless your brother's my paraphrase. Send truth.

God is a father and Father's give their children good gifts and Matthew chapter 7 starting in verse 7. We see this. Ask and it will be given to you.

Seek and you will find knock and it will be open to you for everyone who asks receives and the one who seeks finds and to the one who knocks it will be opened. Which one of you if his son asks him for bread will give him a stone or if he ask for a fish will give him a serpent. If you then who are evil know how to give good gifts to your children. How much more will your father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him. So how can Brokenness be a good gift?

How can disease be a good gift? How can how can blindness trouble burden be a good gift?

Have you ever been given something? and went like

book it's a thing. Thank you for this. I said how many you have received something from our heavenly father? You know like kidney stones. That made us just me. And said wow father. I'm a slingshot away from a good time.

Thank you for this. How can Brokenness be a good gift? Brokenness is dependence.

Brokenness is dependence. Brokenness Brokenness shows us The Emptiness the futility and the Frailty of our flesh.

Forces us to depend on him. Even in the pain even especially in the pain, especially in the discomfort it it forces us to depend more fully more completely on him. But it sure doesn't feel like a good gift in the moment. Does it? having a fever

we thank God for a fever. I used to get these fevers it when it when I was a kid and I would I just thought I would let you speak. I I remember I would have the same kind of dream weird fever dream of of like this this Boulder this wait just slowly crushing me in my head would just just I couldn't think clearly in my hot clammy and you've had a fever. A fever is your body's way of cooking out which trying to destroy you.

It's uncomfortable. terrible But it's healing.

Brokenness is a good gift because it causes you to depend on him. Not not out of the pain but through it.

in the midst of it Through it.

We have to learn that we can't depend on this body this flesh and all its trappings and all of its demands and all of its fragility. We have to learn that we can't depend on this flesh. We can't trust this flesh. Then we learn that.

What is are left in which to trust? If we can't find Hope In the Flesh, where do we turn?

Return to the one who wore the flesh. Suffered In the Flesh died in the flesh and then left the Flesh in the grave. It was resurrected out of it. Threw it out of it.

victoriously from it the father knows what we actually truly deeply need.

If we need to suffer a a good fever in the flesh. To refine into into chipping in and melt away our need for the flesh then that's a good and perfect gift. Your disease can be your healing. And 2nd Corinthians chapter 12 7 through 10. Paul says this

Should I keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations? A thorn was given me in the flesh. a messenger of Satan to caress me to keep me from becoming conceited. What do the Brilliance of God's sovereignty in this? Satanism is a idiot coyote.

Any devices just brilliant plan. Paul's causing a ruckus people coming to Christ Jews Gentiles alike. Oh man, he's stirring the pot. He's messing up his voice. We got to do something about it Justine approaches to Sovereign throne. Sza Lord. I was wondering if I could have your permission to I don't think you'll do. I don't think you'll buy it, but maybe I'll just got to try. Could I have Flex? Could I could I have flicked Paul was suffering. I just feel like doing that. Can I have your permission? There's no way he's going to say yes to flip. How would you describe Thorn In the Flesh?

duchess Yeah, are you go ahead and do that? And saying thanks. I can't believe you bought it. I can't believe I can't believe that you agree to these terms.

Thorn In the Flesh

Satan thought it would destroy him distract him. Paul says Thank You Lord.

It keeps me from conceit. It keeps me from Pride. It keeps me humble. It keeps me dependent on you father. Thank you. Three times. I pleaded with the Lord about this then it should leave me but he said to me my grace is sufficient for you for my power is made perfect in my weakness in weakness. Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses. So that the power of Christ May rest upon me for the sake of Christ. Then I am content with weaknesses insults hardships persecutions calamities for when I am weak then I'm strong. Thank you Jesus for saying no.

I asked for healing and he graciously did not.

for my good for his glory

because our greatest Brokenness is not in the flesh. It's in the spirit. Our soul is broken. Spirit is diseased.

You're looking for a manifestation of the the the breaking damaging power of sin. Don't don't look to the flesh. Look for your soul.

Dealing with disobedient child. That sounds joyful be dealing with disobedient children.

Don't pray that God will change their behavior.

I want to change the behavior by children I could do it today. No question. I could do it today.

So what have I done? Change behavior of change that an outward expression of what's broken on the inside. Lord don't change my children's Behavior change their heart and let's just see what happens.

broken in here

Is that word Brokenness is it's just an expression? A spirit is diseased then sometimes.

Our enemy can use the illusion of health and prosperity to keep us from seeing what's under the floorboards. What's Behind the Walls? We keep slapping on coats of paint on the second floor when what's causing the cracks in the foundation?

Right, we can be fooled into thinking that were fine. your health and prosperity

I could be your worst enemy.

I was working at a Wilderness Camp for a week and we were blazing Trails literally blazing trails and they gave me this tool which all I know. It's like a it's like an awesome blade on a stick like an ax handle didn't like an awesome blade and you could swing it about and I was doing such. And it sunk in the tree stump. And I wasn't coming off. So I just grabbed the blade and pulled it out.

That's sliced my finger really deeply and I'm an eagle scout. I know what to do. I cleaned it really thoroughly wrapped it up. Joke about what an idiot. I was and a few days later started to scab over his great couple weeks later. It was throbbing and pain about twice its normal size. It was hot. Look perfectly fine on the outside. It's healed scab even went away. I was just poking at it with a knife as you should.

And I don't know if you've been walking on a curb and then you stepped off the curb and it surprised you how far your foot goes down before it hits ground know if you get my gross analogy, but the blade of the knife just stepped off the curve and Fell in This crevasse of my finger.

pus postulants it looked fine. I could have killed me.

Don't went outward Prosperity fool you into thinking you're not diseased on the inside.

The pain that did the swelling the heat the sense that that was that was a sermon. Being preached to me. Tell me your finger is not healthy.

finger strike kill you

dig deeper

Thank you, Jesus. Matthew 5:3 blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven you are blessed if you know how bankrupt you are.

So perhaps God loves you enough not to heal you.

Put another way. Perhaps doesn't forgive me perhaps God doesn't hate you enough. To heal you of what would ultimately lead to your true healing? Did you remember the time you almost died of smallpox? Oh, you know you didn't. Why didn't you die of smallpox? If you're vaccinated against it, the first vaccine was a vaccine for smallpox and you know, the vaccine was cowpox. It was a disease. If you had the cowpox you didn't get the smallpox if you had the light and momentary Affliction of cowpox, you wouldn't suffer the fatality of smallpox.

2nd Corinthians 4 16 and 17 Paul says so we do not lose heart though. Our outer self is wasting away. Our inner self is being renewed day by day for this light momentary Affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of Glory beyond all comparison.

Don't ask to be robbed of the light and momentary affliction. And I know I'm sitting pretty here guys. I know it. My wife and I and my children. When I'm battling cancer.

We're experiencing wholeness and God's miraculous provision in our family. We have so much joy, it frightens me. truly does

when I was on my way to that accidents. When I didn't know what I was going to find. But I knew that my whole family was in that van. My prayer was Jesus, please don't let this be what my soul needs.

Cuz if it is I'll have to accept it with joy. I'm not sure I can do that. I know I'm sitting pretty here. My family was spared.

I'd God does heal your flesh for this Earthly season and that's all it is. It God does heal your flesh for this Earthly season Praise Him. Praise Him matted you praise him.

The God be the glory because in him you found your healing. God does not heal you praise him. To God be the glory because in him is your dependents and your dependence upon Him is your healing.

Is healing in the flesh or not, we're all going to die. You know where they put Lazarus back. In at the same time that Jesus told him from he still went back in the grave. and he's all like

10 degrees again

Maddie one day you're still going to die.

Still going to die one day.

Just like Lazarus. We're going to be placed in the Tomb. Christ has defeated That Tune.

He's defeated death. And if you know him. If you're in him. Then he has already predestined you. Ultimate Eternal grave stomping Cemetery dancing victory over your Brokenness your sin and your death.

Any other healing in This Blink? Of an Earthly existence is a mere appetizer of the glory to come. It's a sermon illustration of what Jesus is truly capable of. Matthew 9 One through seven and getting into a boat. He crossed over and came to his own City and behold some people brought to him a paralytic lying on a bed. And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic take heart my son your sins are forgiven. And behold some of the scribes said themselves this man is blaspheming. Jesus knowing their thoughts said You think evil in your hearts for which is easier to say your sins are forgiven or to say rise and walk?

But that you may know that the son of man has Authority on Earth to forgive sins. He then said to the paralytic rise pick up your bed and go home. Annie Rose and went home

paralysis was just a sermon.

for the glory of Jesus

and for the joy of all who would hear what he is really capable of yes, he can if he can heal the body he can mend a body.

Took a medicine took an aspirin. token Eagle Scout

Oh my God. only.

To Christ in his life and his death in his resurrection can Kegel the death of your spirit of your soul, which is eternal.

Your Brokenness and healing or in suffering is ordained by God. For his glory in your joy. So what do we do when we're sick or injured when we're suffering? Number line 1 repair lights. What do we do? We boldly ask the God will heal it. And then praise him. when he does

Weather in your flesh or through your flesh. He will heal you.

In Victory now or dependence on him until the victory later. To him be the glory and just be the joy and you know. That's the testimony the world needs to hear.

We stayed up here in in Pre jym promise that in Jesus. It'll all be healed. It'll all be cured today right now mortgage cancer done. And then it doesn't happen.

What happens to our testimony then? What happens to his great name? Then what happens to his to his heart and character then what do people think then?

They think we're diluted or he's a liar. But when we say I have had everything taken from me body.

Home family. It's all gone. But I have everything because I have Christ. That's the testimony the world needs to hear.

Everything's been taken from me. Nothing has been taken from me. Because I have him.

Joni eareckson Tada. I don't know if you read anything that she's written or heard anything that she has said. She was paralyzed in a diving accident when she was 17 has spent her entire adult life in a wheelchair.

She's also the author of 48 books in the recipient of six honorary doctorate doctorate degrees. Just traveled the world. Countless thousands of people have come to know Christ because of her testimony.

She writes music.

She also has fought breast cancer. twice

speaking of her wheelchair. She says this and I quote. I would say that in a way. I hope I can take my wheelchair to heaven with me. I know that's not biblically correct. But if I were able I would have my wheelchair up in heaven right next to me when God gives me my brand new glorified body. Now then turn to Jesus and I'll say Lord you see that wheelchair right there. Well, you are right when you said that in this world, we would have trouble because that wheelchair with a lot of trouble. But Jesus the weaker, I was in that thing the harder I leaned on you. And the harder I leaned on you the stronger I discovered you to be so thank you for what you did in my life through that wheelchair. and now you can send that wheelchair to hell.

osprey

Is it a wheelchair? It's a blindness.

Pain, is it separation? Is it anxiety is it fear? Is a disease. Is it quote unquote curable or no incurable?

Is a pernicious?

The malignant is it is it for 9? We keep waiting for these magic words to tell us. Who we are and have feel. Tell us whether we're going to be happy or sad. There's one word.

In the midst of it all that can bring us. Joy Jesus. You your name? Your name Jesus? Do whatever you have to.

By your grace in for our joy to bring us to Total dependence on you. What a Good Friday prayer

I have one to take it back.

But I can't.

Thank you. Thank you for our suffering.

If you don't really believe that help us believe it. We don't really see that help us see it.

Through and not from we will hold on to our joy in you. our Lord and savior in your name we pray on it. Yes, sir.

please

We will.

We will and thank you Mel for being here in your smile. It bless me this morning. Let's let's pray over you. Got thank you. Thank you for now.

We have received so much blessing.

She can't see it right now we do. Thank you for the testimony. Thank you for the sermon you're preaching through them. I do I boldly pray that you would heal her make her hole in her body and her Fletcher right now today in this moment healer. but if not lead her to abide in you.

See and find that greater Victory. We love you Lord Jesus in your name. We pray time in.