Winston Salem church of Christ

INTRO:

A. A man drives to a gas station and has his tank filled up. The gas station attendant sees two penguins sitting on the back seat of the car and asks the driver, “What’s up with the penguins in the back seat?”

The man in the car says, “I found them. I asked myself what to do with them but I haven’t a clue.” The clerk ponders a bit then says, “You should take them to the zoo.” “Yeah, that’s a good idea,” says the man in the car and drives away. The next day the man is back at the same gas station. The attendant sees the penguins are still in the back seat of the car and says, “Hey, they’re still here! I thought you were going to take them to the zoo!” “Oh, I did,” says the driver, “and we had a swell time. Today I’m taking them to the beach.” 1. Some misunderstandings are funny. Some are deadly serious.2. When Jesus saves us, is deadly serious.

B. Illustration: I’m Not That SureA construction crew was laying a drain line as part of a new building. While excavating, the workers uncovered a power cable directly in the path of their work. The excavation was halted. An electrician was called in. The electrician came and looked at the cable. He assured workers that the cable was dead. “Go ahead and cut it out of the way,” the electrician told the workers. The foreman asked, “Are you sure there is no danger?” “Absolutely,” was the reply. Then the foreman asked, “Well, then, will you cut it for us?” The electrician hesitated for a moment, then answered, “I’m not that sure.”1. The question we want to ask our religious friends is, how sure are they that “faith only,” which is defined by them as faith without works, which is faith that does not need to obey, saves?

C. Facts:1. Fact #1: Jesus, the Great Physician, healed (i.e., gave physical grace) many people who had no faith, to produce faith (Jn.20:30-31).2. Fact #2: Jesus, the Great Physician, healed (i.e., gave physical grace) many physical infirmities and spiritual infirmities because of, or by their faith.3. Thesis: The faith that healed physically and spiritually, healed after it acted, not before, and only after God acted.

BODY:I. WORD STUDIESA. Therapeuo (2323)1. “primarily signifies to serve as a therapon, an attendant; then, to care for the sick, to treat, cure, heal (
Eng., therapeutics). (Vine, p.543.)2. “2. to heal, cure, restore to health.” (Thayer, p.288.)

B. Iaomai (2390)1. “to heal, is used (a) of physical treatment 22 times; in Matt.15:28, A.V., `made whole,’ R.V., `healed;’ so in Acts 9:24; (b) figuratively, of spiritual healing, Matt.13:15; John 12:40; Acts 28:27; Heb.12:13; 1 Pet.2:24; possibly, Jas.5:16 includes both (a) and (b); some mss. have the word, with sense (b), in Luke 4:18. Apart from this last, Luke, the physician, uses the word fifteen times. (Vine, p.543)

C. Sozo (4982)1. “to save, is translated by the verb to heal in the A.V. of Mark 5:23; and Luke 8:36…; the idea is that of saving from disease and its effects. (Vine p.543).

D. Diasozo (1295)1. “to save thoroughly (dia, thorough, and [sozo])…. (Vine, p.543)

E. Katharizo (2511)1. Physically: “to make clean, to cleanse.2. Spiritually: to free from the defilement/guilt of sin and from faults.

II. CONNECTION – PHYSICAL HEALING AND SPIRITUAL HEALINGA. Just as Jesus spoke in parables, which were earthly stories with heavenly meanings, Jesus’ physical healings were a parable, type, or allegory on spiritual healing.1. Matthew 4:23 – Jesus was going throughout all
Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness among the people. o Question – Why did Jesus heal every kind of disease and every kind of sickness among the people when proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom? The answer is that the physical healing typified the spiritual healing.2. Matthew 11:2-5 NASB Now when John, while imprisoned, heard of the works of Christ, he sent word by his disciples (3) and said to Him, “Are You the Expected One, or shall we look for someone else?” (4) Jesus answered and said to them, “Go and report to John what you hear and see: (5) the BLIND RECEIVE SIGHT and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the POOR HAVE THE GOSPEL PREACHED TO THEM.3. Notice the connection between physical healing and spiritual healing with the paralytic (Mt.9:1-8; Mk.2:1-12; Lk.5:17-26): “and Jesus seeing their faith said to the paralytic, `Take courage, My son, your sins are forgiven.’” (Mt.9:2; [Mk.2:5; Lk.5:20).

4. While it is true that many miracles were performed to produce faith (Jn.20:30-31); it is equally true that some miracles were performed because of faith. While some were healed to produce faith; some were healed because of faith. It is this latter type, where people were healed because of their faith, which is a parable, lesson, or type on how we are healed spiritually, that is, saved by faith.5. Many of the words used to describe physical healing are used for spiritual healing, that is, our salvation. Is this an accident? Is this just a coincidence? Connected to both spiritual and physical healing is faith. People were healed physically by faith, and people are saved or healed spiritually by faith. We know the Great Physician healed and heals both physically and spiritually by faith; but the question is…when does He heal by faith?

B. Mt.9:12 (Mk.2:17; Lk.5:31) – “It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick.”

1. Jesus is the Great Physician both spiritually and physically.

II. CASE STUDY #1 – TEN LEPERS (Lk.17:11-19)A. Luke 17:11-1911 While He was on the way to Jerusalem, He was passing between Samaria and
Galilee.12 As He entered a village, ten leprous men who stood at a distance met Him;13 and they raised their voices, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!”14 When He saw them, He said to them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And as they were going, they were cleansed (katharizo/2511).15 Now one of them, when he saw that he had been healed (iaomai/2390), turned back, glorifying God with a loud voice,16 and he fell on his face at His feet, giving thanks to Him. And he was a Samaritan.17 Then Jesus answered and said, “Were there not ten cleansed (katharizo/2511)? But the nine—where are they?18 “Was no one found who returned to give glory to God, except this foreigner?”19 And He said to him, “Stand up and go; your faith has made you well (sozo/4982).”

B. Questions:1. Did the leprous men’s faith heal/cleanse/save them? Yes (v.19).2. Did the leprous men have faith when they “raised their voices?” Yes, otherwise they would not have raised their voices and pled for physical mercy.

3. Did the leprous men’s faith heal/cleanse/save them before Jesus’ told them to show themselves? No (v.14).4. Did the leprous men’s faith heal/cleanse/save them before they left to show themselves? No (v.14).5. When did the leprous men’s faith heal/cleanse/save them? When they obeyed – “as they were going” (v.14)

C. Spiritual Application:1. Eph.2:8 – for by grace you have been saved (sozo/4982) through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;2. Eph.5:26 - that He might sanctify her, having cleansed (katharizo/2511) her by the washing of water with the word,3. Eph.4:5 - one Lord, one faith, one baptism4. Acts 15:9 - and He made no distinction between us and them, cleansing (katharizo/2511) their hearts by faith.5. Acts 28:26-28 - ²⁶Go to this people and say, “You will keep on hearing, but will not understand; and you will keep on seeing, but will not perceive; ²⁷For the heart of this people has become dull, and with their ears they scarcely hear, and they have closed their eyes; otherwise they might see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart and return, and I would heal (iaomai/2390) them.” ²⁸“Let it be known to you therefore, that this salvation of God has been sent to the Gentiles; they will also listen. 6. Leprosy could easily be paralleled to sin – a spiritual leprosy. Naaman is a good example.7. Repentance, confession and baptism are nothing more than crying out to Jesus to be saved and then obeying the words of Jesus. We cannot show ourselves to our High Priest and God until after we’ve been cleansed either (Heb.10:19-22). Notice that faith is defined both by having our hearts sprinkled and our bodies washed.Hebrews 10:19-2219 Therefore, brethren, since we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus,20 by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, His flesh,21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God,22 let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.

III. CASE STUDY #2 – Centurion’s Servant Mt.8:5-13; Lk.7:2-10A. Pertinent Verses:· Lk.7:3 – When he heard about Jesus, he sent some Jewish elders asking Him to come and save (diasozo/1295) the life of his slave.· Mt.8:7 – Jesus said to him, “I will come and heal (therapeuo/2323) him.”

· Mt.8:8 – But the centurion said, “Lord, I am not worthy for You to come under my roof, but just say the word, and my servant will be healed (iaomai/2390).”· Lk.7:7 – for this reason I did not even consider myself worthy to come to You, but just say the word, and my servant will be healed (iaomai/2390).”· Mt.8:10 – …”Truly I say to you, I have not found such great faith with anyone in
Israel.”· Mt.8:13 – And Jesus said to the centurion, “Go; it shall be done for you as you have believed.” And the servant was healed that very moment. B. Questions:1. Was the centurion a man of great faith? Yes (Mt.8:10; Lk.7:9).2. Was the centurion a man of great faith before Jesus healed his servant? Yes.3. When was the Servant Healed? When Jesus said the word! (Mt.8:8; Lk.7:7)4. Did Jesus say the word before or after the centurion worked his faith by asking? After.

C. Spiritual Application:1. 1 Pet.3:20-21 - ²⁰who once were disobedient, when the patience of God kept waiting in the days of Noah, during the construction of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight person, were brought safely (diasozo/1295) through the water. ²¹And corresponding to that, baptism now saves (sozo/4982) you – not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal to God for a good conscience – through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 2. When are we spiritually healed/saved? When Jesus says the word!3. When does Jesus/God/Holy Spirit say we are spiritually healed/saved? When God/Jesus acts upon our faith acting.

IV. CASE STUDY #3 – The Woman With The Hemorrhage (Mt.9:20-22; Mk.5:25-34; Lk.8:43-48)A. Pertinent Verses:1. Mt.9:21-22 - ²¹for she was saying to herself, “If I only touch His garment, I shall get well (Lit., be saved) (sozo/4982). ²²But Jesus turning and seeing her said, “Daughter, take courage; your faith has made you well (Lit. saved you) (sozo/4982).” And at once the woman was made well (Lit., saved) (sozo/4982).2. Mk.5:28 – ²⁸For she thought, “If I just touch His garments, I shall get well (Lit., be saved (sozo/4982).

3. Lk.8:43 – ⁴³And a woman who had a hemorrhage for twelve years, and could not be healed (therapeuo/2323) by anyone, ⁴⁴came up behind Him, and touched the fringe of His cloak; and immediately her hemorrhage stopped. ⁴⁵And Jesus said, “Who is the one who touched Me?” And while they were all denying it, Peter said, “Master, the multitudes are crowding and pressing upon You.” ⁴⁶But Jesus said, “Someone did touch Me, for I was aware that power had gone out of Me.” ⁴⁷And when the woman saw that she had not escaped notice, she came trembling and fell down before Him, and declared in the presence of all the people the reason why she had touched Him, and how she had been immediately healed (iaomai/2390). ⁴⁸And He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well (sozo/4982); go in peace.” B. Questions:1. Did her faith heal/save her? Yes (Mt.9:22; Lk.8:43).2. Did she have faith before she touched Jesus’ garment? Yes (Mk.5:28).3. Did her faith heal/save her before she touched Jesus’ garment? No (Mk.5:28; Lk.8:44).4. Did her faith heal/save her immediately? Yes, upon touching the garment, not upon her immediately believing (Mk.5:29),5. When did her faith heal/save her? When she touched Jesus’ garment; when faith worked (Lk.8:44) Faith + Faith Acting + God’s Power = Saved.

C. Spiritual Application:1. 1 Pet.2:24 - and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed (iaomai/2390).2. Mt.1:21 – “And she will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for it is He who will save (sozo/4982) His people from their sins.”3. Mt.16:25 – “For whoever wishes to save (sozo/4982) his life shall lose it; but whoever loses his life for my sake shall find it.”4. Mt.18:11 – “For the Son of Man has come to save (sozo/4982) that which was lost.”

V. CASE STUDY #4 – Canaanite Woman Mt.15:21-28; Mk.7:24-30A. Pertinent Verses1. Mt.15:22-28 - ²²And behold, a Canaanite woman came out from that region, and began to cry out, saying, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David; my daughter is cruelly demon-possessed.” ²⁸Then Jesus answered and said to her, “O woman, your faith is great; be it done for you as you wish.” And her daughter was healed (iaomai/2390) at once.2. Mk.7:24-30 – ²⁹And He said to her, “Because of this answer (Lit., word) go your way; the demon has gone out of your daughter.”

B. Question:1. Did the mother’s faith heal/save her daughter? Yes.2. Did this faith heal/save before she gave the right answer? No.3. Did this faith heal/save after the mother’s faith was put into action? Yes.4. Did this faith heal/save the first time it was put into action? No (Mt.15:22-23)5. Did the faith heal/save when Jesus decided to act upon the mother’s action of faith? Yes.

C. Spiritual Application:1. Jms.5:16 – Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, so that you may be healed (iaomai/2390).

VI. CASE STUDY #5 – Bartimaeus (Mk.10:46-52 (Mt.9:27-29/Lk.18:35-43)A. Pertinent Scriptures:1. Mk.10:46-47 - ⁴⁶Bartimaeus…was sitting by the road. ⁴⁷And when he heard that it was Jesus the Nazarene, he began to cry out and say “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”a. That is to scream, shriek, halloo, shout for help in a tumultuous way. This was not a clearing of the throat to get attention; this was not a whisper, as one commercial used to suggest “if you want to get someone’s attention, whisper.” This was a man who was unashamed, unabashed, and unrestrained; a man filled with that desperateness that removes any boundaries of supposed social propriety. He cried out and said,2. Mk.10:48 – …but he kept crying out all the more, Son of David, have mercy on me!”3. Mk.10:49 – And Jesus stopped and said, “Call him here.” And they called the blind man, saying to him, “Take courage, arise! He is calling for you.”4. Mk.10:50 - “And casting aside his cloak, he jumped up, and came to Jesus.a. Scripture does not record he “laid aside” his cloak. He threw it off! This large shawl, thrown over the shoulders, probably represented more than half the beggar’s wealth, but he valued his eyesight more than it, and cast it aside possibly because it hindered him in reaching Jesus through the crowd. When we Christians come to Jesus, there is often something in our lives that hinders our approach. It also needs to be cast off (Heb.12:1-2). Then Bartimaeus arose, or as the NASB translates, he jumped up! Although the translation rose is adequate to show his prior position of sitting, the NASB translation jumped probably carries more of the attitude this beggar had. From what I see in this beggar, I don’t see a man slowly rising, and sheepishly slinking to the Savior. He has been screaming, people screamed at him, he continued screaming, he threw off his cloak – this is a man of action; this is a man with an attitude!5. Mk.10:51 – And answering him, Jesus said, “What do you want Me to do for you? And the blind man said to Him, `Rabboni, I want to regain my sight!’a. By translating “regain” the NASB suggests he once possessed sight, then lost it. Which is worse, to never have been blessed with sight, or to see but loose this wonderful blessing? I don’t know. I am in no place to judge. However, with reference to spiritual sight, I need not apply personal wisdom. Peter tells us that it is better to have never known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn away from the holy commandment (2 Pet.2:21). They say, “better to have loved and lost, than never to have loved at all.” Not spiritually, so warns Peter.6. Mk.10:52 - And Jesus said to him, “Go your way; your faith have made you well (sozo/4982).” And immediately he regained his sight and began following Him on the road.

B. Questions:1. What made Bartimaeus scream for Jesus? Faith plus the desire to see.2. What made Bartimaeus keep screaming for Jesus after ridicule? Faith plus the desire to see.3. What made Bartimaeus throw off his cloak, jump up and go to Jesus? Faith plus the desire to see.4. Did faith heal/save Bartimaeus? Yes (Mk.10:52)5. Did Bartimaeus’ faith heal/save him when he called out for mercy? No.6. Did Bartimaeus’ faith heal/save him when he called out again for mercy? No.7. Did Bartimaeus’ faith heal/save him when he came to Jesus? No.8. Did Bartimaeus’ faith heal/save him when he told Jesus he wanted to see? No.9. When Did Bartimaeus’ faith heal/save him? When Jesus acted upon Bartimaeus acting upon his faith. When faith worked, Jesus healed.

C. Spiritual Application:1. Bartimaeus faith did not heal/save him until Jesus acted upon his acting upon his faith. That’s when our faith saves spiritually – when we act upon it in repenting, confessing, and being baptized. And that when God acts upon our faith by saving us. That’s when our faith continues to save us, when we act upon the prayers we utter in the darkness of our troubles. And then we, like Bartimaeus, must follow Jesus (v.52), glorifying the Son of David, the Son of Man, the Son of God.2. Mk.16:16 - “He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved (sozo/4982); but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned.”3. Lk.8:12 – “And those beside the road are those who have heard; then the devil comes and takes away the word from their heart, so that they may not believe and be saved (sozo/4982).”4. Acts 2:40-41 – ⁴⁰And with many other words he solemnly testified and kept on exhorting them, saying, “Be saved (sozo/4982) from this perverse generation!” ⁴¹So then, those who had received his word were baptized; and there were added that day about three thousand souls.5. Acts 16:30-34 - ³⁰…”Sirs, what must I do to be saved (sozo/4982)?” ³¹And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you shall be saved (sozo/4982), you and your household.” ³²And they spoke the word of the Lord to him together with all who were in his house. ³³And he took them that very house of the night and washed their wounds, and immediately he was baptized, he and all his household. ³⁴And he brought them into his house and set food before them, and rejoiced greatly, having believed in God with his whole household.6. Jms.2:14,17,24,26 – ¹⁴What use is it, my brethren, if a man says he has faith, but he has no works? Can that faith save (sozo/4982) him? ¹⁷Even so faith, if it has not works, is dead, being by itself. ²⁴You see that a man is justified by works, and not by faith alone. ²⁶For just as the body without spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.

CONCLUSION:

A. Illustration: Faith and the Pendulum1. We started off with an illustration that asked us, “Just how sure are we?”2. What is faith? We believe that we are saved by grace but we believe that in order to appropriate that grace we must have faith in Jesus Christ. But what is faith? What is belief? If faith simply mental assent? Is faith simply signing on the dotted line? Jesus said that even demons believe and tremble. What is faith?Ken Davis has a book with the intriguing title I Don’t Remember Dropping the Skunk, but I Do Remember Trying to Breathe. In it he tells about an assignment he was given in college to teach a class as creatively as possible. He decided to teach the law of the pendulum, a law of physics that a pendulum can never return to a point higher than the point from which it is released. If you put a ball on the end of a string and release it so that it is free to swing, when it returns it can’t go any higher than the point from which you released it. In fact, because of friction and gravity, it will fall short of the release point. Each time it swings, the ark gets smaller and smaller until it finally comes to rest. Ken used all kinds of diagrams, mathematical formulas, and models to teach the law of the pendulum to the class, and he could tell by the look on the teacher’s face that the teacher thought he had done well.When Ken finished, he asked the class how many believed in the law of the pendulum. All hands flew up, including the teacher’s. The teacher thought the lesson over at this point – but it had just started. Ken asked his teacher to come to the front of the room and sit in a chair placed against the wall. Suspended from the ceiling Ken had rigged 250 pounds of weight-lifting disks. This was a big pendulum. Ken brought the 250 pounds of metal right up to the teacher’s nose and said, “If the law of the pendulum is true, then when I release this mass of metal, it will swing across the room and return short of where I am holding it now. Your nose will still look like it does right now.” Ken looked his teacher right in the eye and said, “Sir, do you believe this law is true?”There was a long pause as great drops of sweat formed on this teacher’s upper lip. Then weakly, his teacher nodded and whispered, “Yes.”Ken released the pendulum. At the far end of its ark it paused momentarily and then started back. Ken says he has never seen a man move so fast in his life! Carefully, Ken stepped around the still-swinging pendulum and asked the class, “Does he believe in the law of the pendulum?” In unison they answered, “No!”Ken’s professor understood the law, but he was unwilling to trust his nose to it. After a short discussion, a student volunteered to sit in the chair. Even though his face contorted in fear as the pendulum started back, he stayed put. But it stopped an inch from his nose and swung away from him again. Now his faith in the law was strengthened. The next time the pendulum swung, he didn’t even blink.

B. Illustration:Years ago there was a Methodist Bishop named Cavanaugh. In one of his pastorates he met a physician, who was a skeptic. Their work brought them together quite regularly, and soon they became friends. One day as Cavanaugh was walking down the street, the physician pulled his buggy up to the curb and invited him for a ride. They talked about the weather for a bit, but then the doctor asked a rather pointed question: “Preacher,” he said, “you and I are good friends, but you puzzle me. How can a man of your intellectual ability spend his life telling his “old wives’ tales” of God’s love and the resurrection of Jesus?”Cavanaugh thought for a moment, and then said this: “Suppose in your younger days you had a cancer, and a man came to you who claimed that the had a prescription that had cured many cancers and he wanted you to try it. Suppose you had accepted it and it had cured you. What would people think of you if you would not take that same prescription to every patient of yours who had cancer?”At once the doctor said, “They would think I was a fool.” The bishop looked him very seriously, and said: “Twenty-five years ago I had a cancer – not a physical cancer. I suppose you could call it a moral cancer. The Great Physician gave me a prescription for my illness that cured me. So what would you think of me if I didn’t take that prescription to every single person that I could possibly reach who needed it – every single person who had some great heartache or sin that needs healing?After a long, thoughtful silence the doctor answered: “I guess I would have to say you were a fool.”

C. Faith and Salvation1. Faith Saves.2. Faith Saves When Faith Acts/Works.3. Faith Saves When God Acts/Works Because Our Faith Acts/Work.