Jan. 08, 2023

Living by Faith V - Healing and the Sabbath (8 Jan. 2023)

Introduction - This lesson explores healing, as will our next lesson.  Healing is a much sought after, boldly promised benefit of life in the Lord Jesus.  The church’s experience with it seems to be hit-or-miss, i.e., not everyone who is sick gets healed.  The situations where a person does not receive a healing are certainly not any fault of the Lord’s, so they must have some explanation in our understanding of the healing/wellness process.  Today, we will be examining the relation of healing to the structure of our weekly life.  In particular, how it relates to the Sabbath.  Let me say up front that this lesson is not designed to take us back under a dutiful, penalty-connected rule concerning the Sabbath, but to help us make use of the grace-oriented wisdom of the New Testament to benefit from this amazing gift from God.  The Idea of the Sabbath started with God Himself, when He rested for one day after the six days of the creation account:

Genesis 2:2-3 On the seventh day God had finished his work of creation, so he rested from all his work. 3 And God blessed the seventh day and declared it holy, because it was the day when he rested from all his work of creation. NLT

God wasn’t tired.  He is omnipotent.  This simply meant that He stopped laboring, which is the main reason for the Sabbath.  It is a time in which we stop laboring with our own efforts to advance our own welfare, either to be acceptable to God or to make ourselves more secure through gain.  Observation of the Sabbath Day was originally a provision of the 10 commandments, a part of the law of Moses, or the Old Covenant: 

Exodus 20:8-11 “Remember to observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. 9 You have six days each week for your ordinary work, 10 but the seventh day is a Sabbath day of rest dedicated to the LORD your God. On that day no one in your household may do any work. This includes you, your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, your livestock, and any foreigners living among you. 11 For in six days the LORD made the heavens, the earth, the sea, and everything in them; but on the seventh day he rested. That is why the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and set it apart as holy. NLT

Originally, The Sabbath was a sign between God and the Israelites to help them remember the special agreement He had with them as His special people.  The penalty for not keeping the Sabbath was death (Exodus 31:12-18, Numbers 15:32).  This was a rigid, inflexible rule designed to teach a blind, inflexible bunch of Israelites to remember Him and think about Him.  Much like children in kindergarten, they needed simple rules with memorable penalties to learn effectively.  They were being taught to trust in Him and to break free from dependence on their own labor.  The Sabbath was a day of being freed from the fear and tyranny of everyday life, and for partaking in the joy of close fellowship with God.  This is a principle He is trying to teach us today.  As Christians, we are no longer bound by the Old Covenant, but are under the New Covenant.  Jesus has fulfilled the requirements of the Old Covenant and all the penalties associated with it.  Remembering the Sabbath is no longer a rigid law, with God keeping a strict scorecard, but a blessed invitation into true fellowship and refreshment for us, designed by God Himself.  There are no penalties attached.  We can choose to benefit from it or not.  This important change, which occurred when Jesus rose from the dead, was explained by Jesus:

Mark 2:27 Then Jesus said to them, “The Sabbath was made to meet the needs of people, and not people to meet the requirements of the Sabbath. 28 So the Son of Man is Lord, even over the Sabbath!”  NLT

Under the Old Covenant, Jews were always trying to be acceptable to God.  They had a constant regimen of sacrifices to bring to their priests to be offered in their stead so that they would not suffer the loss of crops, rain, health, etc.  in addition to the “work” that is associated with life on the earth just to eat and have a roof overhead, the Jew had this additional burden of “labor” to be acceptable to God.  Gentiles, by contrast, lived in darkness, away from God, not even conscious of what the average Jew knew, probably only one notch above animals in the animal kingdom.  As Christians, Jesus makes it possible for us to “rest” from this incessant labor.  If you think of it, we routinely do things which were once considered sacrifices at all of our major holidays:  We have a turkey at Thanksgiving, ham at Easter, etc., without giving it a second thought as a spiritual atonement for something we did.  The benefits extend much farther than that, however: 

Isaiah 58:6-14 …this is the kind of fasting I want: Free those who are wrongly imprisoned; lighten the burden of those who work for you. Let the oppressed go free, and remove the chains that bind people. 7 Share your food with the hungry, and give shelter to the homeless. Give clothes to those who need them, and do not hide from relatives who need your help. 8 Then your salvation will come like the dawn, and your wounds will quickly heal. Your godliness will lead you forward, and the glory of the LORD will protect you from behind. 9 Then when you call, the LORD will answer. ‘Yes, I am here,’ he will quickly reply. “Remove the heavy yoke of oppression. Stop pointing your finger and spreading vicious rumors! 10 Feed the hungry, and help those in trouble. Then your light will shine out from the darkness, and the darkness around you will be as bright as noon. 11 The LORD will guide you continually, giving you water when you are dry and restoring your strength. You will be like a well-watered garden, like an ever-flowing spring. 12 Some of you will rebuild the deserted ruins of your cities. Then you will be known as a rebuilder of walls and a restorer of homes. 13 Keep the Sabbath day holy. Don’t pursue your own interests on that day, but enjoy the Sabbath and speak of it with delight as the LORD ’s holy day. Honor the Sabbath in everything you do on that day, and don’t follow your own desires or talk idly. 14 Then the LORD will be your delight. I will give you great honor and satisfy you with the inheritance I promised to your ancestor Jacob. I, the LORD, have spoken!”  NLT

This amazing passage has mostly to do with fasting, which is a subject for another day.  The verses, however, have a series of commands followed by the benefits of following the command.  Notice the one highlighted in red above.  This is obviously not a literal portion of Exodus 20, given many hundreds of years earlier, but the intent and heart of God shows through here, just like references to the 10 commandments show up in the New Testament. Interestingly, nine of the ten commandments are plainly mentioned in the New Testament.  The only one that isn’t is the fourth, concerning keeping the Sabbath.  It is an important idea, or Jesus would not have mentioned it in Mark 2.  It is obvious that the Sabbath is alive and well in God’s mind.  It is given to mankind as a source of blessing, honor, reward, and healing.  This is probably an overlooked source of physical strength in the busy church life of today! You have to wonder how well the modern church is doing at this.   

We were designed from the time of Adam to have a six-day work week, punctuated by a day of non-labor on the seventh.  When I first learned about the Sabbath as a boy I thought, “how boring!” It seemed to me to be a waste of a valuable day, just sitting and doing nothing.  I did not know God well then, and did not understand anything he had done to redeem me.  I just knew you couldn’t do anything loud, like hunting, on that day (Sunday) and all stores were closed.  I sure didn’t think much about God then.  I just filled up the day (Sunday) with the obligatory visit to church (boring) and Sunday School, ate a big Sunday afternoon meal, slept, watched the Ed Sullivan Show, and went to bed.  Had I been in an active Christian community, the day would probably have been spent eating with other Christians (the Lord’s Supper) and sharing the exciting testimonies of Jesus’ workings, talking about end-time events, and getting excited about new truths I would have been learning.  Even in the modern church, we spend much time praying and working at Christian ministry, often to desperately ask for healing, when God is quietly looking forward to the moments in which we remember Him and spend time just talking to Him and being with Him.  He probably has many more healings stored up, ready to go, in response to our oft-forgotten remembrance of the Sabbath.  The only commandment that began with “Remember” was the Sabbath command.  The heart of that command is still valid today.  

Let’s not overlook the other six days of the week.  Most people in our society have a goal of reaching retirement age.  We feel that all the negative aspects of “work” should cease at that age as we approach this imagined period of recreation and pleasure.  It never really works that way, probably because God’s plan is for six meaningful days of work with one Sabbath day until we each stop breathing.  If you are retired, you might need to add some meaningful “work” to your life, especially some form of service to the Body of Christ, to stay healthy.  This is how the needs of the poor are met (sharing your food, taking in the homeless, helping to settle conflicts between people, etc.). It is critically important to fill your life with service to others, not just keep up with your own needs. Until you learn to serve others, your own needs will dominate your life.  If you are a young mother, maybe the time has come for you to get another member of the Body to share your mothering load for part of day.  There is a way for every one of us to observe a Sabbath in our own way.  Self-importance, a false notion, will stand in the way of the Sabbath.  We ALL have this common notion in us.  “You don’t know how important I am,” we say.  “I am needed seven days a week!”

So how should a Christian observe the Sabbath? Little is said of how to observe it. We certainly must not judge one another about its observance.   It is a personal observance, unique to each person:  

Colossians 2:16-17 So don’t let anyone condemn you for what you eat or drink, or for not celebrating certain holy days or new moon ceremonies or Sabbaths.17 For these rules are only shadows of the reality yet to come. And Christ himself is that reality. NLT

Romans 14:5 In the same way, some think one day is more holy than another day, while others think every day is alike. You should each be fully convinced that whichever day you choose is acceptable. 6 Those who worship the Lord on a special day do it to honor him. Those who eat any kind of food do so to honor the Lord, since they give thanks to God before eating. And those who refuse to eat certain foods also want to please the Lord and give thanks to God. NLT

It was not designed to be done on a particular day, as some denominations insist.  Think of the many, varied circumstances to be addressed: a doctor or nurse in times of medical emergencies, soldiers in combat, young mothers with infants, farmers in time of critical harvest, etc., etc.  Jesus understands all these situations.  He lets every person observe it as it best suits him, at whatever frequency suits him, for whatever length of time suits him.  He does not keep a schedule book or 24-hour clock.   Since Jesus paid for our sin, there is no penalty for not observing the Sabbath now.  The only negative is the loss of a possible blessing by never observing it.    

Conclusion - Keys for healing are embedded in the Scripture, hiding in plain sight.  One such gem is found in the beautiful gift of the Sabbath, a God-appointed time of refreshment, designed especially by Him for us.  Maybe it’s time for you to unlock its blessings!

NOTE:  We have no audio for January 15, 2023, so we've attached the notes for the final segment of the series on Living by Faith by Pastor John Custer.

Living by Faith VI - the Laying on of Hands (15 January 2023) – Pastor John Custer

Introduction- This lesson will reintroduce the Laying on of Hands, a subject with which we are familiar, but which will introduce a new aspect of this ministry, and false teaching related to it: demonic “transmigration.”.  Hopefully, we will become bolder and better at this amazing ministry with this knowledge.  

Mark 16:17-18 These miraculous signs will accompany those who believe: They will cast out demons in my name, and they will speak in new languages. 18 They will be able to handle snakes with safety, and if they drink anything poisonous, it won’t hurt them. They will be able to place their hands on the sick, and they will be healed.”

Jesus announced this new power which believers would have: we would place our hands on the sick and heal them.  It was a power which He exhibited himself in some strategic instances and then passed on to us after his resurrection:

Luke 4:40 As the sun went down that evening, people throughout the village brought sick family members to Jesus. No matter what their diseases were, the touch of his hand healed every one. NLT

Luke 13:11-13 He saw a woman who had been crippled by an evil spirit. She had been bent double for eighteen years and was unable to stand up straight. 12When Jesus saw her, he called her over and said, “Dear woman, you are healed of your sickness!” 13. Then he touched her, and instantly she could stand straight. How she praised God!  NLT

Mark 6:5 And because of their unbelief, he couldn’t do any miracles among them except to place his hands on a few sick people and heal them. NLT

This ability to heal was a new power, never seen in the Bible before in this way.  Prior to this, the laying on of hands was mainly ceremonial, used to transmit a curse into an animal which would be slaughtered as an offering to cover sin.  Another use of the laying on of hands was to anoint or commission leaders who were going to be over the people.  Jesus demonstrated how this power was to be used by us in a new setting, the New Testament. He was confident, bold, unashamed, and not fearful in any way.  I am writing today to counter an erroneous teaching that demons can jump from a sick individual into a well person who is attempting to minister to them.  Let me say boldly that there is NO EVIDENCE in the Scripture that this is so.  The Scripture, not personal experience (anecdotal evidence) is our true guide.  The closest you will get to this idea in the Scripture is the experience of the sons of Sceva, a Jewish exorcist:  

Acts 19:13 A group of Jews was traveling from town to town casting out evil spirits. They tried to use the name of the Lord Jesus in their incantation, saying, “I command you in the name of Jesus, whom Paul preaches, to come out!”14 Seven sons of Sceva, a leading priest, were doing this. 15 But one time when they tried it, the evil spirit replied, “I know Jesus, and I know Paul, but who are you?” 16 Then the man with the evil spirit leaped on them, overpowered them, and attacked them with such violence that they fled from the house, naked and battered.  NLT

If there ever was a case in which a demon could jump into and possess someone, this would be it, but possession is notably missing from this account.  These were unsaved Jews, who would have been ideal targets for possession, but they were simply beaten up and driven from the premises.  The main scriptural support for demonic “transmigration” is 1 Tim 5:22. I’ve included the popularly used KJV for illustration:

1 Tim 5:22 Never be in a hurry about appointing a church leader. Do not share in the sins of others. Keep yourself pure. NLT

1 Tim 5:22 Lay hands suddenly on no man, neither be partaker of other men's sins: keep thyself pure. KJV

Conclusion - Even the most casual review of 1 Tim 5 shows that the subject of the chapter is the ordination of elders, not demonization.  As Christians, we should follow Jesus’ example and lay hands on the sick fearlessly, knowing that no demon can attach itself to us.  We have a salvation that is truly a “great salvation!”