Sunday 10/13/13 FUMC/HAUMC UMC’s
Sermon Title:
“We are a people of Signs, Wonders, and Miracles”
Old Testament Scripture Lesson: Psalm 66:1-12
New Testament Scripture Lesson: 2 Timothy 2:8-15
Gospel Lesson: Luke 17:11-19
Hello and
welcome my brothers and sisters on this the twenty-first Sunday after Pentecost.
Pentecost, that day that so long ago that the church was born, and the Holy
Spirit filled the early followers of Jesus Christ. When this happened, the
apostles and other Christians went out and preached the Gospel of the Risen
Lord. Not only this, they became a people of “Signs, Wonders, and Miracles.”
In fact, in the Apostle Paul’s letter
or Epistle to the Hebrews 2:3-4, he said, “how shall we escape if we ignore so
great a salvation? This salvation, which was first announced by the Lord, was
confirmed to us by those who heard him. God also testified to it by signs,
wonders and various miracles, and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed
according to his will.” “Signs, Wonders, and Miracles,” not only performed by
Jesus Christ our Lord, but also performed by the people early church, with the
power of the Holy Spirit.
This can be seen heavily in the New
Testament book of the Acts of the Apostles, or the Book of Acts, as we often
call it. This book tells the story of the early church and the Apostles. In this book, the Apostle Peter raised Tabitha
from the dead in Acts 9:40-42. The scripture says, “But Peter put them all
outside, and knelt down and prayed; and turning to the body he said,
“Tabitha, arise.” And she opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter she sat up. And
he gave her his hand and raised her up. Then calling the saints and widows, he
presented her alive. And it became known throughout all Joppa, and many
believed in the Lord.” “Signs, Wonders, and Miracles,” all throughout the Bible,
people getting healed, hearts being mended, the dead rising to life. Of course
Jesus performed many miracles, and his followers through his power and the
power of the Holy Spirit, also performed many miracles.
Even so, so many people have argued
that in the present day that these miracles no longer occur. They say that
Jesus performed miracles, they may even may even say that Jesus’ early
followers performed miracles, but certainly they don’t believe that miracles still
occur today. Such people in the present day attribute amazing occurrences to
luck, to science alone, or simply try to pass off such things with whatever
rationalization that they can think of at the time. Do miracles still occur in
the present day though? Do miracles still occur today?
For many people that have ever held a
new born baby, or seen a sunset over-looking an ocean, they are connected to God
and his miracles that all around us. If someone is critically ill or in pain
though, and then they are suddenly well again, how are we to explain this? How
are we to explain such a phenomena that has doctors, scientists, and all manor
scholarly people saying, “I have no reasonable explanation for what happened
here?” Now I am sure many presumed miracles can be explained with science,
reason, and other things, but once and awhile things happen, that I would
identify as a miracle. As one definition says, a miracle “is an event not
ascribable to human power or the laws of nature and consequently attributed to
a supernatural,
especially divine,
agency.”
This means the very hand of God reaching
down, healing, saying, and doing indescribable things. The Holy Spirit of God
moving as it will, and people are healed, the blind can see, and the lame can walk.
Now once again there will always be hoaxes, or miracles that were over stated,
but I as your pastor, believe in “Signs, Wonders, and Miracles.” Do you believe
in them? Do you believe that it is possible for someone to be healed by God’s
people calling upon the power of the Holy Spirit?
The Apostle Paul reminded young
Timothy from the reading this morning, that if we are truly faithful, than we
will “reign” with God. Luke tells us 10-lepers, which was a terrible disease of
skins sores, deformity, losing limbs, and sometimes death, saw Jesus. As Jesus
entered a village these 10-lepers then approached him, and cried out for
healing and mercy. Jesus healed them, and told them to show the priests in the
Synagogue that they were healed. Yet one of the Lepers went back to Jesus. He
fell at the feet of the Lord, and thanked him, for he believed in Jesus. Jesus was
pleased with his faith, and then sent the man off, telling him that his faith
has made him well.
I have found in my own life that
sometimes God choses to heal people, and sometimes healing doesn’t come.
Instead sometimes people get worse or even die. In struggling with this reality,
I heard an older pastor who has struggled with this reality speak once. I
remember him saying, “Isn’t death, the ultimate form of healing? For when
someone who believes dies, they are in no more pain, and they are with the
Lord.” I have heard stories of people passing on to be with the Lord in glory
with such peace, as if they knew that this was God’s plan all along.
Yet for some of us, we will be healed
in the here and the now. Of course in our selfishness, we always want people to
be healed in the here and the now. When we call upon the Holy Spirit for
healing then, we are asking God to heal in the here and the now. Sometimes he
does, yet sometimes he does not. Yet we pray for healing, restoration, revitalization,
and to be made whole, as Jesus healed and restored many. That Jesus empowered
the early church to heal others in this name. Further, that Jesus Christ has
given us his authority and Spirit even today, so that we may perform miracles
in the here and the now. I once saw a t-shirt that said, “Sometimes God performs
miracles, the rest of the time he sends me.” I think that sometimes God also
performs miracles, by using you and me.
In the book or letter of James 5:14,
it says, “Is
anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them
and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord.” I take this scripture
very seriously my brothers and sisters. In fact, even in this past week, I have
visited people in different hospitals, and in doing so I anointed there head
with this oil, in the sign of the cross. I called upon the Spirit of God to descend
like a dove and to heal, restore, and fill such persons. You see as I heard a
pastor say once, “Doctors treat, but God heals.”
In
taking this seriously, I would like offer the invitation during the postlude of
the service today, that if anyone would like me to pray with them, to anoint there
head with oil, and to call upon the Spirit of the Lord, that I will gladly do
so. Don’t we all need healing brothers and sisters? Are we all not broken?
Since
I am talking about “Signs, Wonders, and Miracles” this morning, I would like to
tell a couple of stories about such “Signs, Wonders, and Miracles.”
Here is a story from Annette Burvick
called Glory to God. Annette writes, “I have been smoking since I was nine years
old and will be 50 this year. I also became an alcoholic upon the passing of my
mother in 1996. I recently became aware of the fact that if I kept going
at the pace I was going, I wouldn’t last much longer. My husband also a smoker
and drinker was facing the same dilemma as I. We both are avid believers
in the Lord and his miracle workings.
We said a prayer one day asking the Lord to deliver us from our inequities so
that we could be good stewards for him and his works.”
“It will be one month on May 10th of
no smoking or drinking after quitting cold turkey. There has been no
withdrawals what so ever in my 40 years of smoking and I give all the
glory to GOD for loving
me enough to give me a chance at a new life. It even seems the aging of
my body from the smoking and drinking is disappearing and a more youthful me is
appearing.
My husband and I have begun working out together and we read
the word two times a day. I am truly thankful of my Lord and Savior for his
mercies. Thank you Lord
for giving your only begotten son for a wretch like me.” Praise God!
Here is a story by Terri Flowers. This
story is about how, “just after losing her mother to cancer, Terri was
diagnosed with a terminal form of lung cancer. In the midst of exhausting
treatments, Terri decides it's time to bring Jesus into her life. Friends,
family and Christians throughout the nation join in prayer with Terri, until
one day she receives an amazing report -- her lungs are totally cancer free!”
Praise God!
Now let me tell you a couple of my
own stories. I was on a Christian spiritual retreat weekend, where my beautiful
wife is this weekend. On this weekend, one of the men approached me and said, “Pastor
Paul I have a lot of back problems. In fact, despite much medical attention, my
back hurts, and seems to be getting worse.” He then said, “Pastor, can you pray
for me.” In that moment, I called together all the men, of this all men retreat,
I sat this man in chair, anointed his head with oil, in the name of the Father,
the Son, and the Holy Spirit. All the men and me then laid hands upon him, and we
prayed for probably 5-10-minutes calling upon the Spirit of almighty God to
reach down and heal this man. When this weekend was coming to close, this man
got up at the pulpit in our closing worship service, and said his back had felt
better than it had in years. He then looked right at me in front of the whole
church, and said thank you for praying for me pastor, it made all the
difference. In that moment tears flowed out of me, as I felt the grace and love
abundantly flowing in the church.
On another such all men’s Walk to
Emmaus spiritual retreat weekend, we had a very troubled Vietnam War veteran on
the weekend. This man took numerous medications, had countless health problems,
was exposed to Agent Orange, and reported that he was still haunted by the
horrors he had seen in the war. He said that he was a “tunnel rat,” or one of
the soldiers that were responsible for finding communist enemy soldiers that
were hiding under the service in tunnels. He said he saw more things in those
few years, than anyone should see in a whole life time.
That night we had a healing service,
and the pastor anointed his head with oil, and then we put hands upon him as
the Bible says, and prayer for this man. As we prayed more and more, the man
began weeping, and then crying severally. He seemed plagued by the horrors that
he had experience in the jungles of Southern Vietnam. We then shortly after all
went to bed, and our beloved and troubled veteran went to sleep. We noticed
that he fell asleep rather quickly. The next morning as we were gathering for
morning prayers, the man stood up, with tears flowing down his face, and said
my brothers, last night was the first full night of sleep I have gotten in over
37-years. This weekend occurred about 4-5 years ago.
I then called this man after the
weekend, and he told me, “Paul, it as if God has let me forgive myself, and has
healed me.” He said, “I feel like I have a second chance in life.”
“Signs, Wonders, and Miracles,” my
brothers and sisters. Did they only happen in the days of Jesus, or do they
happen even now, every day, all over the world? Ask yourself right now, do you
need healing? Are you sick, are you broken, are you feeling like you are at the
end of your rope? If so, let the elders of the church lay hands upon you, and I
will anoint you with oil, and we will pray for healing together. Healing in the
name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Praise be to God!
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