Sermon: JESUS HAS POWER OVER SICKNESS – Rev. Jean-Paul Agidi

JESUS HAS POWER OVER SICKNESS

Scripture readings:  ISAIAH 40:21-31  | 1 CORINTHIANS 9:16-23 | MARK 1:29-39

Sickness is any disorder, weakened or unsound condition. The theme for today’s meditation is Jesus has power of over sickness.
We shall deliberate on the theme using the following two points

1. Jesus is able to heal those who put their trust in him in a hopeless situation.
2. Christ has given us the power of the Gospel to heal the sick and save them

Beloved in the Lord, Jesus is able to heal those who have faith when faced with a hopeless and sick condition. In MARK 1:29-39, we see Jesus’ healing ministry manifest in the lives of those who yearn to see him and those who were brought to him. Jesus healed both spiritual and physical sicknesses.

What a great relief it must have been, especially to those who had for many years sought healing from different places but to no avail. Where ever Jesus went, he brought spiritual and physical healing to people who came around to listen to him.

ALSO READ: JESUS has POWER Over Demons – Rev. Jean-Paul Agidi

Beloved in the Lord, We are also encouraged not to relent in our faith but trust Jesus for our healing when we are faced with situations that weaken or make our life’s condition unsound.

JESUS HAS POWER OVER SICKNESS

Many of us may not be suffering from physical illness but emotionally and spiritually we are weak, unsound, and can be described as sick. We hardly sleep nor do we have peace of mind because of the frustrations and disorderliness in which we find ourselves.

These frustrations which have resulted in depression and sleeplessness may have been caused by financial hardship, unfaithful and challenges in our marriage, betrayal from people we dearly love and trust and indeed severe pain in parts of our bodies caused by some medical conditions.

Some people unable to carry these burdens and eventual plunge themselves in into a state of despair and commit suicide. Someone listening to me this morning is wondering why he or she is still living under these circumstances of untold hardship and disorderliness.

Beloved in the Lord, If you look at God through your circumstances, He will seem small and very far away, but if by faith you look at your circumstances through God.

He will draw very near, heal you and reveal His greatness to you through Jesus Christ.

Just like the exiles who were been addressed by Prophet Isaiah in the first Scripture reading in ISAIAH 40:21-31, the corruption and waywardness of our society has affected the moral life and progress of our nation.

Isaiah was addressing a people who had sin against God by disobeying is commandment and believing in the gods of other nations.

Their moral decadence severed their relationship with God hence their exile.

The people cried and asked “where is their God in these perilous times?” The Israelites were in a state of despair and were wondering if God was able to save them from the Babylonians who had held them in captivity.

They desired to return to their land and have their fortunes restored.

Beloved in the Lord our situation is not too remote from the times of Prophet Isaiah, our society has become so disorderly and weak to the extent that corruption, injustice and wickedness have taken us captives.

Those who fear the Lord and who wish to do the will of God by not being corrupt and strive to uphold Christian virtues eventually become victims of conspiracy and sinister plans of others who have dead consciences.

The innocent are being sacrificed for the enrichment and greed of the wicked.

The poor continue to be cheated and the rich continue to milk the poor for their sustained affluence and luxurious live.

The abuse of power to undermine the integrity and dignity of those who try to live an upright life.

The new social media madness called silhouette challenge where people show their naked as a form entertainment.

We can simply say our nation and for that matter the world is sick and we are in exile, far away from God.

Behold, there is good news for the faithful, the hopeful but weary, Isaiah reaffirms God’s love for us in Isaiah 40:29 that “God gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.”

And in Isaiah 40:31 the Lord assures as that “but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” Regardless of what is happening in our nation, we those who have put our faith in the Lord shall be healed and revived to do great exploits

Just like Paul, when Jesus heals you and makes you spiritually, emotionally and physically strong he desires to use you as an instrument of healing in the lives of those who are sick. That is why Paul said in 1 Corinthians 9:22-23 to
“To the weak I became weak, to win the weak.

I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some.

I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.”

Beloved in the Lord, if you truly believe that Jesus healed you from all your infirmities and made you a new creation then you need to become a good steward of the Gospel and ensure that those who are beyond the walls of salvation receive this healing grace and salvation.

We must have passion for the lost as individuals and as a church and we must be intentional about evangelism.

It is through conscious evangelism that we are able to bring the healing power of Jesus Christ to the morally, spiritually and physically sick in our society.

Healing power of Jesus and the Christian as an Instrument

Be an instrument of healing in the hands of God and help in the restoration of others.

In sum, sickness can be understood as disorderliness and weakness in our individual lives and that of society.

ALSO READ: JESUS has POWER Over Demons – Rev. Jean-Paul Agidi

Jesus has the power to heal these weaknesses if we come to him in faith.

Again when we have received the healing power of Jesus and our lives are restored let us remember that we have also become instruments in the hands of God to reach out to the lost through the transformational effect of the Gospel and the healing power of our Lord and Master Jesus Christ. Amen