When I say, “It is always God’s will to heal,” I am putting Christians in a tough spot. What about the people who weren’t healed? If it’s God’s will, why doesn’t everyone get healed?
These are valid questions with valid answers.
In 2 Peter chapter 3, we discover God doesn’t want anyone to go to hell. He wants everyone to come to repentance. That’s why we’ve been waiting so long for Jesus to return. God is patient.
We can all agree that it is always God’s will for people to be saved through their faith in Jesus Christ. Yet, we also understand that not all people choose God's will.
We also know from Matthew chapter 7 that there will be people on judgment day who think they are saved only to hear Jesus say, “I never knew you.”
Is this God’s fault? No. We’re talking about people who said one thing and did another. They said they believed in Christ, but continued to live contrary to what they said.
I am making this parallel for you because it’s easier for us to understand this in regard to salvation. But for some reason, we get hung up when it comes to healing.
Salvation through Jesus Christ is available to everyone. But, it is not forced on anyone. It must be received through faith in Jesus Christ alone.
If you refuse salvation, you’ll go to hell. If you try to earn salvation, you’ll go to hell. If you use salvation as some kind of fire insurance, you’ll go to hell.
But I have good news for you. All it takes is one small sin to send you to hell, which means that, by default, that’s where we are all headed. But, Jesus.
Jesus Christ was sent by God. He lived a sinless life and was then sacrificed in our place. There was an exchange through His blood. Our sin was put on Him and His righteousness was put on us.
When you bring your wickedness to Jesus in exchange for His righteousness, you are saved from hell. It’s your faith in Jesus that saves you. This same faith results in right living.
Yet, some say they believe in Christ, but there is nothing to prove it. They go on living just as they used to. How can this be?
Some say they believe in healing, but they go on living in sickness. How can this be?
Is it not God’s will for everyone to be saved? Is it not God’s will for everyone to be healed?
It’s easy to blame God, but that’s not an option here at NoLimits. I will not allow it. We will not blame God for our unbelief.
God’s will is for everyone to choose salvation. God’s will is for everyone to be healed. Scripture makes it clear, and that’s all we need.
So, since we can’t blame God, how about we figure out what is going on?
I am about to reveal the great American hindrance to healing miracles. This will shock you because there is probably at least a trace of it in your life.
Go ahead and brace yourself because we are all getting corrected today. But the Lord corrects those He loves, and this correction will result in not just healing miracles but greater works.
To get the job done, we are going to read two chapters in Mark’s gospel. Listen closely as I start reading chapter five. As you hear God’s Word, faith will come up out of your spirit.
We just read about three miracles. Demons were cast out of a man. A woman was healed of a long-term illness. A little girl was raised from the dead.
Let’s turn our attention to those who were healed and examine what they all had in common.
Mark 5:6 NLT - When Jesus was still some distance away, the man saw him, ran to meet him, and bowed low before him.
Mark 5:22-23 NLT - When Jairus saw Jesus, he fell at his feet, pleading fervently with him. “My little daughter is dying,” he said. “Please come and lay your hands on her; heal her so she can live.”
Mark 5:27-28 NLT - She had heard about Jesus, so she came up behind him through the crowd and touched his robe. For she thought to herself, “If I can just touch his robe, I will be healed.”
What do these three people have in common? They pursued Jesus fervently.
The man ran to Jesus and bowed low before him. The father fell at Jesus’ feet, pleading fervently. The woman fought through the crowd to touch Jesus’ robe.
These three people completely humbled themselves. They didn’t care what others thought. They didn’t wait for Jesus to ask who wanted to be healed. They ran after Him and bowed at His feet.
Keep this in mind as we continue reading in Chapter 6.
Mark 6:1-6 NLT - Jesus left that part of the country and returned with his disciples to Nazareth, his hometown. The next Sabbath he began teaching in the synagogue, and many who heard him were amazed. They asked, “Where did he get all this wisdom and the power to perform such miracles?” Then they scoffed, “He’s just a carpenter, the son of Mary and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas, and Simon. And his sisters live right here among us.” They were deeply offended and refused to believe in him. Then Jesus told them, “A prophet is honored everywhere except in his own hometown and among his relatives and his own family.” 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. And he was amazed at their unbelief.
In one locality, people were chasing Jesus down to be healed. In the next, His hometown, they didn’t even greet Him. They waited until the next church day to give Jesus the time of day.
In every other town Jesus went to, people gathered the sick and would wait on the edge of town for Jesus to arrive. In His own hometown, they waited with their arms crossed for Jesus to convince them.
So Jesus showed up to church that next Sabbath and began teaching. His teaching was anointed like it always was. They could sense the anointing. They were amazed at what He said.
Even though they perceived Jesus's miraculous power, they refused it because He was a man they saw grow up just like they did. They changed His diapers. They knew His brothers and sisters.
You know, I’ve always wondered why the disciples always had a hard time believing. Jesus asked them many times, “Where is your faith?”
They traveled with Jesus and witnessed the endless supply of miracles. They miraculously watched Him feed five thousand people and then doubted him that same night.
How can this be? I think I finally get it. Not only did they see Him work miracles, but they saw Him use the restroom, and bathe, and sleep, and eat, just like they did.
They sat around the fire with Jesus at night and engaged in small talk. Some think Jesus was always serious, but I can almost guarantee He enjoyed having a good time with the disciples.
The disciples witnessed miracle-working Jesus. But they also witnessed human Jesus. And so, just like His own hometown, they struggled to consolidate the two.
This is the great American hindrance to healing miracles. We have become His hometown. Jesus has become common.
We don’t run to meet Him. We don’t gather up our sick friends to be healed by Jesus. We only give Him time if nothing else is going on.
This is sobering, I know. I told you we were all getting corrected today. So, let’s dig deep and get the job done. We need to recalibrate, and I know just the parable to do it.
Luke 14:16-24 NLT - Jesus replied with this story: “A man prepared a great feast and sent out many invitations. When the banquet was ready, he sent his servant to tell the guests, ‘Come, the banquet is ready.’ But they all began making excuses. One said, ‘I have just bought a field and must inspect it. Please excuse me.’ Another said, ‘I have just bought five pairs of oxen, and I want to try them out. Please excuse me.’ Another said, ‘I just got married, so I can’t come.’ “The servant returned and told his master what they had said. His master was furious and said, ‘Go quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and invite the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame.’ After the servant had done this, he reported, ‘There is still room for more.’ So his master said, ‘Go out into the country lanes and behind the hedges and urge anyone you find to come, so that the house will be full. For none of those I first invited will get even the smallest taste of my banquet.’”
Does this not describe the American church? We put almost everything before Jesus. Most people won’t even go to church if the seats aren’t uncomfortable, or the temperature isn’t right, or the music isn’t their preferred volume.
I am legitimately concerned that if Jesus showed up in the flesh to tell us to drop everything and go work the harvest, we wouldn’t do it. There are so many other things vying for our attention.
I don’t know about you, but I am checking myself. Would I be one of the people who missed the banquet because I thought my work or my land or my animals were more important?
Would I be willing to wipe my calendar clean to give my full attention to what matters to Jesus, fully trusting that He would take care of all the stuff?
Oh my! No wonder the church doesn’t see more miracles. We are just like His own hometown. We lay our hands on a few sick people, and they are healed. But what about the miraculous healing of ALL?
We must become like the woman with the issue of blood, laying it all aside and fighting through the crowd to get to Jesus.
We must become like the man with many demons, overcoming darkness by running to Jesus and falling at His feet.
We must become like Jairus, emptying ourselves before Jesus and fervently pleading for what only He can provide.
If we want to do the same works Jesus did, He can’t be an add-on. He has to be the center of our lives where everything else revolves around Him.
Instead of thinking, “I’ll do the church thing when there isn’t a scheduling conflict”, we must think, “I’ll go do those other things when there isn’t a conflict with what Jesus is doing through the church.”
We need help! We need to recalibrate. We need to re-establish our priorities. The church is not an add-on. It is the body of Christ. It’s how we are made full and complete. It’s how we get equipped to reach the lost.
Let’s head back to the book of Mark to see how Jesus explains this.
Mark 6:7-13 - And he called his twelve disciples together and began sending them out two by two, giving them authority to cast out evil spirits. He told them to take nothing for their journey except a walking stick—no food, no traveler’s bag, no money. He allowed them to wear sandals but not to take a change of clothes. “Wherever you go,” he said, “stay in the same house until you leave town. But if any place refuses to welcome you or listen to you, shake its dust from your feet as you leave to show that you have abandoned those people to their fate.” So the disciples went out, telling everyone they met to repent of their sins and turn to God. And they cast out many demons and healed many sick people, anointing them with olive oil.
This is a call to arms. I’m not here to build a nice church. I’m here to raise an army. Christ has made me an apostle to bring order to the church. I am here to strip away the nonsense and get us focused.
Yes, I am a young apostle. But I am done letting my age cause me to step back. I’m done waiting to feel qualified or for someone else to tell me I’m qualified.
There’s one thing that matters to me. What does God think? He says I’m ready. He says there are No Limits. He says, look around. Is there anything I can’t do? The property, the building, is easy for me. Let me do it for you. Then, believe for more. Don’t step back because others do. Step forward and partake in all. Partake in all! It’s all for you! All my promises are yes, and amen.
That’s what He is saying to me, and He is saying the same thing to you. This is no time to step back. This is no time to be distracted. This is the time to go all in.
Go tell people to repent of their sins and turn to God. Go cast out demons and heal the sick. Go do greater works than Jesus did.
