Sermon Tone Analysis

If you have your Bibles with you, *turn with me to ACTS 14:8.*

*I) **ACTS 14:8-15*.

*A) **Of course,* *Paul and Barnabas* *corrected** **the** **problem* of *people trying* to *worship* *them*.

*But I want to look* at *what got this man healed*.

*B) **From** **(verse 8)* *we see* that *this man* was *crippled* and had *never walked.*

*1) **In* *(verse 9)* *it says* that *the** **man** **heard Paul speak**.* *Paul** **looked at him** **and** **perceived* that this man *had faith to be healed.*

*(a) **Healing** **came** **as a** **direct result** **of** **faith**.*

*2) **Because* *Paul knew* on the *inside of him* that *this** **man** **had faith to be healed* *said** **in a loud voice*, *“Stand upright on thy feet.”*

*(a) *And of course, the *man* was *healed*.

*3) *In the *first part* of the *next verse* (V 11) it *says,* *“When the people saw.”*

*(a) **Paul wasn’t** **just** **walking around* *telling people* *as they passed* by *that* *Jesus would heal them.*

*(i) *If you go back to *(verse 7)* it *says* that *Paul preached the gospel.*

*(ii) **Part* of the *gospel message* is, *“that by Jesus stripes we are healed.”*

*(b) **In order** **for this man** **to** **have faith** **about healing* *Paul** **must have** **preached** **something** **about** **healing** **in his message.*

*(i) **I don’t know* the *exact surroundings* *where Paul preached* *but* *I* do *know* that *he* *had* an *audience* of people.

*(ii) *In *(verse 11)* it *says*, *“When the people saw what Paul had done.”*

*(iii) *The *Amplified translation** calls it* *“A CROWD.”*

The *Strong’s concordance** says*, *“a casual collection of people, a multitude of men who have flocked together in some place.”*

*(c) **Paul** **was** **there** **preaching the gospel** **to a crowd* *when** **he** **realized** that **the** **lame man** **had faith** **to be healed,* *then shouted** with a loud voice*, *“Stand upright on thy feet.”**

And **of course**, **the man was healed.*

*C) *Now turn with me over to *James** 1:6-8.*

*1) *Here, James tells us that *when we ask the Lord for something* *we need to ask in faith,* *without wavering.*

*(a) *The *Amplified translation* words like this, *“Only it must be in faith that he asks with no wavering (no hesitating, no doubting).”*

*(b) *The *NIV translation* words like this, *“But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt.”*

*D) *Turn to *Matthew 9:27-30.*

*1) **Notice what Jesus said* in *(verse 29),* *“According to your faith be it unto you.”*

*(a) **Faith in what?* *Total TRUST, CONFIDENCE, AND ASSURANCE* that *Jesus is your healer.*

*2) **Have you** **ever wondered** **why** **Jesus didn’t heal these blind men* *when** **they** **first began to cry** **out*, *“Thou Son of David, have mercy on us.”*

*(a) **I **don’t have any sure** **and** **definite** **answer* for you, *but** **I** **don’t believe** that **these** **men had faith** **to be healed** **yet*.

*They** **had to sit under Jesus ministry** **a little** **longer*.

*(i) **And **this verse** **also says a lot about continuing even when things get rough.*

*Remember these** **men were blind** **and** **they** **had to follow Jesus**,* *but they** **wouldn’t give up.*

*(ii) **How many times have we given up* *when** **we were** **about to receive** **the** **answer?*

*(iii) *Many times, *the greatest works** **take the longest time.*

*You** **can’t give up** **just** **because** **there is** **an obstacle in your way.* *You** **can’t** **give up** **just** **because** **you** **face a storm.*

*You** **can’t give up** **just** **because** **things** **seem to be** **hard.*

*(iv) **Sometimes* *we think** **that** **if there’s a problem,* *or** **a storm**,* *or** **things seem tough,* *it** **must not be God’s will** **and** **we** **give up.

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¨ *But** **just looking for the easy way,* *is the** **easiest way** **to** **get out of** **the Will of God.*

¨ *Paul told Timothy* in *(2nd Timothy 2:3), **“Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.”*

*(v) **Paul said* in *(Ephesians 6:13),* *“Having done all to stand, stand therefore.”*

The *Amplified translation* *adds*, *“Stand firmly in your place, holding your ground.”*

¨ *Don’t give up** **and** **don’t quit** **just** **because** **the** **answer hasn’t come** **yet.*

*Don’t give up** **and don’t quit** **just** **because** **things are** **getting** **rough**.*

*3) *Turn over to *Hebrews 6:12.*

*(a) *The *Amplified translation** **gives* us some *marvelous light on this verse*.

And it says, *“In order that you may not grow disinterested and become [spiritual] sluggards, but imitators, behaving as do those who through faith (by their leaning of the entire personality on God in Christ in absolute trust and confidence in His power, wisdom, and goodness) and by practice of patient endurance and waiting are [now] inheriting the promises.”*

*(b) **I don’t know if you** **got what Paul is saying here** **or not,* *but** **if** **we’re** **not operating in** **biblical** **faith* *and** **standing with patience** **then you’re a** **spiritual** **sluggard*.

*II) *Turn to *Hebrews 10:32-36.*

*A) **“CONFIDENCE”* *in* *is a** **“STEADFAST TRUST”* *or* *“AN UNSHAKEN FAITH.”*

*1) *Again from the *Amplified translation* it says, *(35)* *“Do not, therefore, fling away your fearless confidence, for it carries a great and glorious compensation of reward.

(36) For you have need of steadfast patience and endurance, so that you may perform and fully accomplish the will of God, and thus receive and carry away [and enjoy to the full] what is promised.”*

*(a) **Notice* he says, *“STEADFAST PATIENCE AND ENDURANCE.”*

*(b) **Sometimes** **things** **are** **not easy*, *but the** **easy road** **is** **not** **always** **God’s way.*

*2) **When* the *King James translation** **sa*ys, *“You have need of patience,”* the *Expanded Strong’s Concordance* *says* *this about the Word** **“PATIENCE”* *“in the NT the characteristic of a man who is not swerved from his deliberate purpose and his loyalty to faith and piety by even the greatest trials and sufferings.”*

*(a) **If you want** **the** **rewards of God* *or** **the** **promises of God* *you have to** **keep standing** **and** **keep standing** **and** **keep standing, no matter how long** **it takes* *or** **the** **trials** **that** **you’re going through.*

*You** **just** **have to** **keep standing** **and** **God will give you the grace** **and** **the** **ability** **to** **see it through.*

*3) *Look at *Hebrews 10: 38-39.*

*(a) **Verse 38* tells us that *you and I** **who are** **the righteousness of God* *in Christ Jesus* *ARE TO LIVE BY FAITH.*

He *goes on to say* in the same verse that *if we pull back from living by faith* *God has no pleasure in that.*

*(b) **As a matter-of-fact* *verse 39* *tells us** **that** **it’s much more severe** **then God having no pleasure** **in us* pulling back from faith.

*(c) *The *Amplified translation says* that like this, *(39)* *“But our way is not that of those who draw back to eternal misery (perdition) and are utterly destroyed, but we are of those who believe [who cleave to and trust in and rely on God through Jesus Christ, the Messiah] and by faith preserve the soul.”*

*B) **God wants us to walk in faith* *and* *trusting Him** **with all of our hearts in everything.*

*Not just in one thing here** **and one thing there,* *for** **he has told us in the Word** **that** **we are to live by faith,* *trusting Him always for all things.*

*WOLCC Sunday, March 04, 2001 & September 8, 2005*

*Healing & Faith.Doc*

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