Sermon Series – “It’s Not too Late!”
Last Sunday – “To Eliminate Poverty”
This Sunday (Jan. 16) – “To Eradicate Killer Diseases”
Psalm 103:1-8
- God’s beneficial actions are forgiveness, healing, redemption, glorification, sustenance, and renewal.
- v. 5 “so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s. A bird associated with regeneration in the Near East.
- Key word for the sermon – v. 3 “diseases”
- Sub-title of this Psalm – “Thanksgiving for God’s Goodness” This is a foundational and critical Christian doctrine.
- God’s desire is for people to experience healing and wholeness.
- This raises the very difficult question about why some people experience healing and others do not?
- Possible viewpoints regarding this question:
1) Does God cause bad things to happen so that something good can happen? This approach denies the foundational doctrine that God is good.
2) Does God not intervene to bring about healing? This denies the many healing stories in the bible in which God is given the credit.
3) Does God bring about healing in certain situations and we are left with the mystery of why other people do not receive healing from a good and loving God?
Matthew 4:23-25
- What drew people to Jesus? His healings!
- The healings were meant to point people to God’s in-breaking kingdom. God’s salvation was at least bursting into our here and now.
- God brings healing today, sometimes directly and many times through the skills and science of modern medicine.
- God wants the church to continue Jesus’ healing ministry by finding ways to prevent killer diseases such as HIV/AIDS and malaria. This is the 2nd of the key area of focus of the UMC.
- The UMC Book of Resolutions Statement on the church's response to Killer Diseases
- The church has been heavily influenced by non-biblical philosophies in which body and spirit are seen as separate entities.
1) Greek Plato Philosophy downplaying eternal significance of the body.
2) Gnostic Theology – The body and material world are evil.
3) Modern rapture theology – our souls will go to heaven and our bodies will be discarded.
- How can the church reclaim the biblical and wholistic view of body/spirit.
Last Sunday – “To Eliminate Poverty”
This Sunday (Jan. 16) – “To Eradicate Killer Diseases”
Psalm 103:1-8
- God’s beneficial actions are forgiveness, healing, redemption, glorification, sustenance, and renewal.
- v. 5 “so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s. A bird associated with regeneration in the Near East.
- Key word for the sermon – v. 3 “diseases”
- Sub-title of this Psalm – “Thanksgiving for God’s Goodness” This is a foundational and critical Christian doctrine.
- God’s desire is for people to experience healing and wholeness.
- This raises the very difficult question about why some people experience healing and others do not?
- Possible viewpoints regarding this question:
1) Does God cause bad things to happen so that something good can happen? This approach denies the foundational doctrine that God is good.
2) Does God not intervene to bring about healing? This denies the many healing stories in the bible in which God is given the credit.
3) Does God bring about healing in certain situations and we are left with the mystery of why other people do not receive healing from a good and loving God?
Matthew 4:23-25
- What drew people to Jesus? His healings!
- The healings were meant to point people to God’s in-breaking kingdom. God’s salvation was at least bursting into our here and now.
- God brings healing today, sometimes directly and many times through the skills and science of modern medicine.
- God wants the church to continue Jesus’ healing ministry by finding ways to prevent killer diseases such as HIV/AIDS and malaria. This is the 2nd of the key area of focus of the UMC.
- The UMC Book of Resolutions Statement on the church's response to Killer Diseases
- The church has been heavily influenced by non-biblical philosophies in which body and spirit are seen as separate entities.
1) Greek Plato Philosophy downplaying eternal significance of the body.
2) Gnostic Theology – The body and material world are evil.
3) Modern rapture theology – our souls will go to heaven and our bodies will be discarded.
- How can the church reclaim the biblical and wholistic view of body/spirit.
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