Rev. David Holwick Book of Philippians series
First Baptist Church
Ledgewood, New Jersey
May 3, 1998
Philippians 2:25-30
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I. How do you feel today?
A. Interesting detail on Epaphroditus: he is sick and almost died.
1) Think about it - time of apostles, many miracles, yet a
strong Christian almost died.
2) Not from sin, but doing God's work.
a) If he is not safe, who is?
B. Sickness is an experience of all humans.
1) Christians believe sickness can be healed miraculously.
2) Jesus in gospels is more like Oral Roberts than we may feel
comfortable with.
a) Do you believe he can heal?
b) Do you really expect it in any given sickness?
A hard case.
In May, 1983, the "Chicago Tribune" ran a story about a young man
from North Manchester, Indiana.
In the article David Gilmore tells about an illness of his
15-month-old son, Dustin, which began in April 1978.
At first the child came down with flu-like symptoms.
The Gilmores took him to their church and the pastor prayed for
him.
Their church believed that faith alone heals any disease, and to
go elsewhere for help - like a doctor - shows you lack faith.
So they followed the church's advice and only prayed for their son.
Over the next few weeks they prayed faithfully as his temperature
climbed.
They prayed when they noticed he no longer responded to sounds,
and prayed harder when he went blind.
On the morning of May 15, 1978, the day after their pastor preached
an especially rousing sermon about faith, the Gilmores went
into their son's room.
His body was a blue color, and still.
He was dead.
Again they prayed, for their church also believed the power of
prayer can raise the dead.
But Dustin Gilmore stayed dead.
An autopsy revealed the infant died from a form of meningitis that
could have been treated easily.
Gilmore made his story public after 5 years of silence because he
personally knew of two other children who died in similar
circumstances.
According to the "Tribune," 52 others have died in five states
because of this church.
This was back in 1983.
More have died since then, including two nephews of a family in
my church in Ohio.
ABC News reports that women in the church who give birth are
900% more likely to die, than the national average.
Children are 400% more likely to die.
#4331
A. Are these people nuts?
1) In Ohio, the sister of my member was charged with negligent
homicide and they only got off due to a technicality.
2) We are not that extreme, but perhaps we don't really believe.
B. We all feel the tension.
1) We pray, but many are not healed.
2) (Three deaths on sicklist in one week). Discouraging.
3) But when people do get better, could our prayers be at least
partly responsible?
II. The Pentecostal dilemma.
A. A renewed expectation of miracles.
1) Christians have always believed in the possibility of healing.
a) Pentecostals raise it to an expectation.
b) Most faith healers and TV evangelists belong to them.
2) Their expectation is based on Jesus.
a) Most of Jesus' miracles were healings.
b) There is no record of him NOT being able to heal someone,
though once there was a two-stage healing.
c) Jesus considered healing to be an important part of
salvation, which to him involved the whole person.
3) Jesus also promised that his followers would have
supernatural power, including healing. (John 14:12)
a) Since he gives us this power, it is NEVER God's will for
a Christian to be sick.
B. Name it and claim it.
1) Pentecostals use expressions like, "confession brings
possession," or "name it and claim it."
a) This means that once you pray for healing, you should
believe you possess it at that moment.
b) Some churches teach that you should believe you are
healed, even if the symptoms continue.
c) Going to a doctor shows a lack of faith, and may bring
symptoms back.
2) This goes beyond "blind faith" to a faith that hallucinates
about things that don't really exist.
a) In my opinion, it is tempting God.
III. Benefits of a stress on healing.
A. If God can do it, he might do it.
1) We never receive if we never ask.
2) A few healings give hope even to those who aren't healed.
a) It's nice to know we win every once in a while.
B. Many mission conversions result from healings.
1) Shows God has power in a practical way.
2) "Power evangelism" bears much fruit, even in America.
IV. Dangers of overemphasizing healing.
A. What happens when Jesus doesn't heal?
1) The stock answer is that you lack faith.
a) A little more faith, and you'll get your healing.
b) Or maybe you are harboring a sin. (Who isn't?)
2) Perhaps the "pray-ers" lack faith.
a) Note that Jesus healed the man dropped through roof
because his friends had faith, not the man.
3) The burden always falls on people, and leads to guilt
or disillusionment.
B. Some Christians are never healed, no matter how hard they pray.
Joyce Landorf suffered from a condition known at T.M.J.,
which causes paralyzing pain in the jaw and face.
No medical treatment has helped her.
And yet as she thinks about all the aspects of her suffering,
she mentions one source of pain that is more troubling
than any other - judgment from other Christians.
They tell her to confess her sin, or exercise more faith.
Their proud condemnation hurts her worse than the physical
pain itself.
#4331
1) We have already mentioned Epaphroditus.
2) Paul had a thorn in the flesh, which was probably an illness.
a) He prayed for it to be removed, and it wasn't.
3) Jesus himself experienced pain and death.
C. Perspective on the miracles of Jesus.
1) I accept the healings Jesus performed in the Bible.
a) These were real miracles, and essential to his ministry.
2) One thing to bear in mind, though, is Jesus was giving
them a taste of the future, the millennium.
a) The book of Revelation says that in the millennium God
will wipe away all tears, pain and death.
b) What will be certain in the future, we only catch
glimpses of right now.
V. I believe in faith healing.
A. If God wants, he can heal anyone of any disease.
1) He often does it because someone has prayed with faith.
2) Recent Reader's Digest article on prayer and healing:
A recent Reader's Digest had a fascinating article on the
power of prayer for healing.
It was based on the most convincing study done to date,
published in 1988 by cardiologist Dr. Randolph Byrd.
A computer randomly divided 393 patients at the coronary
care unit of a San Francisco hospital into two groups.
One group had prayer groups remember them in prayer, the
other set of patients did not.
No one in the hospital knew which group the patients
were in.
The prayer groups were simply given the patients' first names,
along with brief descriptions of their medical problems.
They were asked to pray each day until the patient was
discharged from the hospital - but were given no
instructions on how to do it or what to say.
When the study was completed ten months later, the
prayed-for patients benefited in several significant
areas:
They were five times LESS likely than the unremembered
group to require antibiotics.
They were 2 times less likely to suffer congestive
heart failure.
They were less likely to suffer cardiac arrest.
If the medical technique being studied had been a new drug
or surgical procedure instead of prayer, it would
probably have been heralded as a breakthrough.
Even hard-boiled skeptics like Dr. William Nolen, who had
written a book questioning the validity of faith healing,
acknowledged:
"If this is a valid study, we doctors ought to be writing
on our order sheets, 'Pray three times a day.'
If it works, it works."
#3544
B. I also believe healing can come by more ordinary means.
1) This kind of healing depends as much on God as any other.
2) Our own bodies have natural healing mechanisms which God
has created.
3) God has also given us wisdom so we can understand the
body and assist it.
a) This is why doctors can heal with surgery and medicine.
b) Paul himself prescribes medicine in 1 Timothy 5:23 when
he tells Timothy to use wine because he is often sick.
C. God can heal by normal means, or by raw supernatural power.
1) But he doesn't have to.
a) When Pentecostals say it is always God's will to heal
people, they are jumping the gun.
2) The proof of this is found in 1 Corinthians 15:26.
a) According to the Bible, the ultimate sickness is death.
1> The last enemy to be destroyed is death.
2> In verses 51 and following, it says death is
destroyed for Christians at the resurrection.
b) Until then, it may be God's will for us to be sick
and die.
c) I'll believe otherwise when I see a 140-year-old
Pentecostal.
VI. There is only one kind of healing I can guarantee right now.
A. God is always ready to heal the sickness of sin.
B. The cure is to repent and ask God to forgive you through Jesus
Christ.
Copyright © 2024 by Rev. David Holwick
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