1. Introduction
1. John 10:10a (NAS) “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy.”
2. I John 3:8b (NAS) The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil.
3. II Cor. 10:3-5 (NAS) ³For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh,⁴for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. ⁵We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.
4. Eph. 6:12 (NAS) For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.
2. Weapons to battle the enemy with
1. The Word of God
1. Heb. 4:12 (NAS) For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
2. Ps. 119:11 (NAS) Your word I have treasured in my heart, That I may not sin against You.
3. Ps. 119:160 (NAS) The sum of Your word is truth, And every one of Your righteous ordinances is everlasting.
4. Matt. 4:4 (NAS) But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.’”
5. Make a decision to become a person of the Bible !
2. Worship
1. Ps. 22:3 (NAS) Yet You are holy, O You who are enthroned upon the praises of Israel.
2. Is. 42:10a, 13 (NAS) ¹⁰Sing to the LORD a new song, Sing His praise from the ends of the earth! ¹³The LORD will go forth like a warrior, He will arouse His zeal like a man of war. He will utter a shout, yes, He will raise a war cry. He will prevail against His enemies.
3. Neh. 8:10c (NAS) “Do not be grieved, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.”
4. Ps. 16:11b (NAS) In your presence is fullness of joy.
3. Confession of sin
1. I John 1:9 (NAS) If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
2. John 14:30b (NAS) “For the ruler of the world is coming, and he has nothing in Me.”
3. Ps. 139:23-24 (NAS) ²³Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me and know my anxious thoughts;²⁴And see if there be any hurtful way in me, And lead me in the everlasting way.
4. James 5:16a (NAS) Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed.
4. Walk in love and forgiveness .
1. John 13:35 (NAS) “By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”
2. Matt. 6:12 (NAS) “And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.”
3. Matt. 5:44 (NAS) “But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.”
4. Ps. 66:18 (NAS) If I regard wickedness in my heart, The Lord will not hear.
5. Prayer and intercession
1. The whole course of history is changed when we pray and intercede!
6. Fasting
1. Matt. 17:14-21 (NAS) ¹⁴When they came to the crowd, a man came up to Jesus, falling on his knees before Him and saying,¹⁵“Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is a lunatic and is very ill; for he often falls into the fire and often into the water. ¹⁶I brought him to Your disciples, and they could not cure him.” ¹⁷And Jesus answered and said, “You unbelieving and perverted generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring him here to Me.” ¹⁸And Jesus rebuked him, and the demon came out of him, and the boy was cured at once. ¹⁹Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not drive it out?” ²⁰And He said to them, “Because of the littleness of your faith; for truly I say to you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible to you. ²¹But this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.”
2. Gal. 6:7-9 (NAS) ⁷Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. ⁸For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. ⁹Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary.
3. Conclusion

Spiritual Warfare Series

Winning the Battle for Your Thoughts

1. Introduction
2. How to Win the Battle for Your Thoughts
1. II Cor. 10:3 (NAS) For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh.
1. Titus 2:11-14 (NAS) ¹¹For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men,¹²instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age,¹³looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus,¹⁴who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds.
2. Heb. 11:38a (NAS) (Men of whom the world was not worthy).
3. We are to respond like the Bible tells us to respond!
2. II Cor. 10:4-5 (NAS) ⁴For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. ⁵We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.
1. “If God really cared about you, this wouldn’t have happened!”
2. They are getting God and life mixed up!
3. “Has God said?”
4. “That doesn’t apply nowadays !”
5. Any thoughts that come into your mind that go against God or His Word are from the Devil or his demons!
6. The Word of God is the truth , no matter what you think or how you feel ! The Word of God is the truth! We must know it and be committed to obey it, no matter what!
3. The enemy also oftentimes uses thoughts of accusation and condemnation against us.
1. Rev. 12:10 (NAS) Then I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren has been thrown down, he who accuses them before our God day and night. ”
4. The enemy also tries to make us afraid to do what God is telling us to do.
1. II Tim. 1:7 (NAS) For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline.
2. Prov. 29:25 (NAS) The fear of man brings a snare, But he who trusts in the LORD will be exalted.
5. If the enemy can gain control of your thought life , he controls you !
1. Rom. 12:2 (NAS) And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.
6. How is our mind “renewed?”
1. By “washing” it regularly with God’s Word !
1. a. Eph. 5:26 (NAS) So that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word.
2. By making decisions in your life that are based on God’s Word and not your feelings !
7. As you choose truth , God supernaturally renews your mind!
8. God’s Word is your greatest weapon over demonic thoughts fired into your mind!
3. Conclusion

1. Introduction
1. I John 3:8b The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil.
2. Adam and Eve had been given dominion over all nature . When they sinned, they gave that dominion and authority over to Satan . Jesus came to take that authority back (which He did), and He’s now given that dominion to the church !
1. Matt. 28:18-20 ¹⁸And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. ¹⁹Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,²⁰teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
2. Advancing God’s Kingdom Over Nature
1. Mark 4:35-39
1. Jesus had brought the Kingdom of God to earth and He proved it by taking authority over nature !
2. The Canaanite god was called “EL” (that’s a general term for any god).
3. Baal was seen as a god of anger !
4. In actuality, this storm was caused by demons !
2. Mark 5:1-5, 14-15, 18-20
3. Mark 4:38 Jesus Himself was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they awoke Him and said to Him, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?”
4. Mark 4:39 And He got up and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Hush, be still.” And the wind died down and it became perfectly calm.
1. “Rebuke” (Epitimao) ? to scold, denounce, censure; to bring an action to an end .
5. Mark 4:40-41 ⁴⁰And He said to them, “Why are you afraid? How is it that you have no faith?” ⁴¹They became very much afraid and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?”
6. Mark 6:34-44
1. Hunger is a work of the enemy!
2. We need to change our worldview to see that God can and does these kinds of things today!
7. Jesus has power over nature! He’s given us that power and authority also!
3. Conclusion

(Unless otherwise indicated all Scripture verses are in the New American Standard Version.)

1. Introduction
1. Mark 1:15 And saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”
2. We are living between the two comings of Jesus Christ!
3. Matt. 28:18-20 ¹⁸And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. ¹⁹Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,²⁰teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
4. Eph. 6:12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.
5. II Cor. 4:4a (NLT) Satan, the god of this evil world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe, so they are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News that is shining upon them.
2. Two extreme viewpoints that Christians have about demons
1. They don’t exist .
2. They are the cause of every negative thing that happens in their life.
1. John 10:10 “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.”
2. Until you and I start persevering in the things of the Kingdom of God, the enemy is not likely to pay much attention to us!
3. When the enemy has you busy with these other pursuits, he has you !
3. How Jesus dealt with demons
1. Mark 1:21-27
2. Mark 5:1-20
3. Mark 9:14-29
4. Practical aspects of dealing with demons
1. Always show love and dignity toward people you are ministering to.
2. Never deal with a demonized person alone .
3. Interview the person.
1. Try to find the access point (root cause).
2. Salvation, repentance, forgiveness, be filled with the Holy Spirit, consecrate their body to the Lord, etc.
4. When a demon manifests in the person:
1. Silence it, and command it to come out.
2. Maintain eye contact .
3. Maintain the distinction between the demon and the person .
4. Continue to interview throughout the process.
5. How to tell when the demon(s) is gone.
1. Yawn, belch, flinch of the body, cough, release of pressure, scream, vomit, etc.
2. They can hide !
3. Consecrate their body to God.
6. The person usually knows that something has left .
7. Follow up
1. Cleansing
2. Filling of the Holy Spirit.
3. Counsel against counter attack .
4. Give them love and acceptance .
5. Small group involvement.
6. Jesus has won !
8. Pray for cleansing for you.
5. Conclusion

(Unless otherwise indicated all Scripture verses are in the New American Standard Version.)

Spiritual Warfare Series

Demonic “Possession” Defined

1. Introduction
1. James 3:15 This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, natural, demonic.
1. “Demonic” ? “Diamoniodes”
2. James 3:13-16 ¹³Who among you is wise and understanding? Let him show by his good behavior his deeds in the gentleness of wisdom. ¹⁴But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, do not be arrogant and so lie against the truth. ¹⁵This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, natural, demonic. ¹⁶For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing.
1. Whenever we make choices or decisions contrary to the Bible, that is demonic wisdom!
3. Matt. 8:16 When evening came, they brought to Him many who were demon-possessed; and He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were ill.
1. “Demon-possessed” (“Diamonizomai”) ? under the control and/or influence of a demon.
4. Mark 1:32-34 ³²When evening came, after the sun had set, they began bringing to Him all who were ill and those who were demon-possessed. ³³And the whole city had gathered at the door. ³⁴And He healed many who were ill with various diseases, and cast out many demons; and He was not permitting the demons to speak, because they knew who He was.
2. Demonization happens in varying degrees with different people.
1. Luke 13:11 And there was a woman who for eighteen years had had a sickness caused by a spirit; and she was bent double, and could not straighten up at all.
2. Being demonized can happen from the outside of a person or on the inside . (“Possessing” a person)
3. Demons cannot dwell in the spirit of a Christian.
4. People become demonized by giving demons access to themselves.
1. John 14:30b “For the ruler of the world is coming, and he has nothing in Me.”
2. When people repeatedly give in to sin , demons have the opportunity to indwell them.
3. Any sins involving the occult will especially open up a person to demons!
1. a. I Sam. 15:23a “For rebellion is as the sin of divination, And insubordination is as iniquity and idolatry.”
4. Any disobedience to the Word of God leaves us open to demonic attack!
5. I John 2:1a My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin.
3. The war against sin
1. James 1:13-15 ¹³Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone. ¹⁴But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. ¹⁵Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death.
2. I John 2:15-17 ¹⁵Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. ¹⁶For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. ¹⁷The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever.
3. Rom. 6:1-7, 12-13
4. James 4:7-8a ⁷Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. ⁸Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.
5. II Tim. 2:22 Now flee from youthful lusts and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.
6. Those who habitually yield to sin leave themselves open to the possibility of demonic activity (demonization) in their lives.
7. John 8:34 Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin.”
8. Stay close to Jesus and don’t allow any demonic presence to gain a foothold in your life!
4. Conclusion

(Unless otherwise indicated all Scripture verses are in the New American Standard Version.)

1. Introduction
1. Six basic characteristics of Evangelicalism:
1. The Supreme authority of the Scripture .
2. The majesty of Jesus Christ.
3. The Lordship of the Holy Spirit.
4. The need for personal conversion .
5. The priority of evangelism .
6. The importance of Christian Community .
2. Difficulties with the Charismatic/Pentecostal view of healing
1. The traditional Charismatic/Pentecostal view of healing:
1. Healing is guaranteed in the atoning work of Jesus Christ.
2. There is a prominence of techniques and formulas in healing prayers.
3. There is usually one individual healer (a great person of faith and power) over and against a healing church .
1. In Kingdom language: An overemphasis on the “already” of the Kingdom to the neglect of the "not yet" of the Kingdom.
3. Is healing guaranteed in the atoning work of Jesus Christ?
1. This means there is a guarantee to each Christian of physical healing in the same way as forgiveness of sins is guaranteed.
1. Is. 53:3-5 ³He was despised and forsaken of men, A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; And like one from whom men hide their face⁴Surely our griefs He Himself bore, And our sorrows He carried; Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, Smitten of God, and afflicted. ⁵But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, And by His scourging we are healed.
2. Matt. 8:14-17 ¹⁴When Jesus came into Peter’s home, He saw his mother-in-law lying sick in bed with a fever. ¹⁵He touched her hand, and the fever left her; and she got up and waited on Him. ¹⁶When evening came, they brought to Him many who were demon-possessed; and He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were ill. ¹⁷This was to fulfill what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet: “He Himself took our infirmities and carried away our diseases.”
3. I Peter 2:21-24 ²¹For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps,²²who committed no sin, nor was any deceit found in His mouth;²³and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously;²⁴and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed.
2. Some unfortunate results of believing that healing is guaranteed in the atoning work of Jesus Christ:
1. When someone is not healed, the failure for that must rest on someone's shoulders!
1. The sick person.
2. The ones praying for the sick person.
2. In the Vineyard, we do not believe that healing is guaranteed every time we pray for somebody to get well.
3. Our understanding is that the “not yet” of the Kingdom of God represented by the second coming of Christ means that we will not always experience healing in this world.
4. While healing is part of the Kingdom introduced by the first coming of Christ, it is not a guaranteed part of the Kingdom!
5. Many people in the New Testament continued to be sick even after the apostles prayed for them.
1. II Tim. 4:20
2. Phil. 2:25-27
3. I Tim. 5:23
4. Gal. 4:13-14
6. In the Vineyard, we believe that healing, like every Kingdom benefit, comes in and through the cross of Jesus Christ.
7. Our understanding of the two comings of Christ shapes our perception regarding what is guaranteed now and what is guaranteed only as a result of the second coming of Christ.
8. We believe we can guarantee to all who come to Christ in simple trust and repentance, the forgiveness of sins 100% of the time without fail !
9. We can make no such guarantee regarding physical healing. The benefit of physical healing brought into this age in the Kingdom ministry of Jesus is only partial , not total.
10. Even those who do get healed will surely die if Christ doesn’t return first!
1. Heb. 9:27
11. One day we will all be totally healed (physically, psychologically, relationally, etc.), but that day has not yet happened.
12. In the meantime, our efforts, though essential, will produce partial, imperfect results.
1. But partial, imperfect results are better than none !
4. The problem with techniques and formulas
1. When healing is viewed as “guaranteed,” healing practices easily become formulaic and somewhat technique-oriented.
1. “If you do this (believe, positively confess, have enough faith, rebuke the devil, fast and pray, confess all your sins, etc.) then God must heal you.”
2. Two major problems with this approach:
1. We do not believe that God has promised or guaranteed perfect healing in this life. We also don't believe that God must heal.
1. Ps. 115:3
2. God is free to do whatever He pleases.
3. God will not violate His word, but we must not pin promises to God that He hasn’t made.
4. Rom. 8:28
5. God alone knows what is good and helpful.
2. We see little Biblical support for special techniques in the practice of healing.
1. “For this physical problem we need to do this, and for that physical problem we need to do that.”
2. In the Gospels, there is an amazing lack of predictable order or technique regarding healing!
5. One individual healer vs. a healing church
1. The whole church has been commanded to do everything Jesus commanded the apostles to do.
1. Matt. 28:18-20 ¹⁸And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. ¹⁹Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,²⁰teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
2. John 14:12 “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do; because I go to the Father.”
2. Certain people are more gifted in ministering healing to people, just as some people are more gifted in evangelism than others.
1. But all of us are to fill the role!
1. Role, gift, ministry
3. Continual training is vital!
1. Each of us needs to help train others in this if we’re ever going to have a healing church!
6. The “Agony of Defeat”
1. The church that prays for the sick must be trained to deal with failure every bit as much as success.
1. Nothing will stop a person from praying for the sick more readily than having no ability to deal with the regular experience of failure.
2. Keep the “already” of the Kingdom of God in tension with the “not yet” of the Kingdom of God.
3. Rom. 8:28 And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.
1. This “good” is not necessarily our immediate good, nor always our apparent good.
2. As Christians, we can say, “I believe God will use this situation for my good even though I can't currently see how.”
2. Remember, healing is both partial and temporary!
1. One day people will be totally healed, but that day is not now .
2. We may be healed of blindness, but still get the flu .
1. Lazarus eventually succumbed to death.
3. We don’t know all the reasons why some people are healed and some people aren’t.
1. We know that healing is not the result of merit or Holiness or personal worth.
2. Sometimes Jesus does not tell us in this life why somebody remains ill.
1. John 9:1-3
2. Deut. 29:29
3. Is. 55:8-9
4. Faith must be present to receive anything from God.
1. Heb. 11:6
2. To obtain healing or anything else from God, we must believe that God is , that God is good and that God will be good to us if we pray to Him!
   1. Lam. 3:22-25
3. The exact proportions of faith and God’s activity are not always apparent.
1. Sometimes it seems we have great faith and God does not heal.
2. At other times, we pray with seemingly no faith (we just do it out of obedience) and God miraculously heals!
3. We do not know the precise mixture necessary between faith and God’s moving to produce healing.
4. That’s why we prefer the term “divine healing” rather than “faith healing.” It emphasizes God’s activity, not our faith.
4. Always remember, praying for the sick is one of the most loving things we can do for them.
1. As long as they feel loved, by God and you, after you've prayed for their healing, you've been "successful."
7. Conclusion

(Unless otherwise indicated all Scripture verses are in the New American Standard Version.)

1. Introduction
1. Mark 1:15 And saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”
2. Matt. 28:18-20 ¹⁸And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. ¹⁹Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,²⁰teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
3. Sickness and disease are ways Satan controls people!
2. God’s Kingdom and healing
1. Luke 13:10-13 ¹⁰And He was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath. ¹¹And behold, there was a woman who for eighteen years had had a sickness caused by a spirit; and she was bent double, and could not straighten up at all. ¹²When Jesus saw her, He called her over and said to her, “Woman, you are freed from your sickness.” ¹³And He laid His hands on her; and immediately she was made erect again, and began glorifying God.
1. Oftentimes there is an unseen spiritual force lbehind a virus or germ!
2. Jesus dealt with demons and spirits everywhere he went!
2. Luke 13:14-17 ¹⁴But the synagogue official, indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, began saying to the crowd in response, “There are six days in which work should be done; so come during them and get healed, and not on the Sabbath day.”¹⁵But the Lord answered him and said, “You hypocrites, does not each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or his donkey from the stall and lead him away to water him?¹⁶“And this woman, a daughter of Abraham as she is, whom Satan has bound for eighteen long years, should she not have been released from this bond on the Sabbath day?”¹⁷As He said this, all His opponents were being humiliated; and the entire crowd was rejoicing over all the glorious things being done by Him.
3. Luke 4:38-39 ³⁸Then He got up and left the synagogue, and entered Simon’s home. Now Simon’s mother-in-law was suffering from a high fever, and they asked Him to help her.³⁹And standing over her, He rebuked the fever, and it left her; and she immediately got up and waited on them.
1. “Rebuke” (Epitimao) ? to scold, denounce , censure, to bring an action to an end.
2. Mark 1:25 And Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be quiet, and come out of him!”
4. Luke 4:40-41 ⁴⁰While the sun was setting, all those who had any who were sick with various diseases brought them to Him; and laying His hands on each one of them, He was healing them.⁴¹Demons also were coming out of many, shouting, “You are the Son of God!” But rebuking them, He would not allow them to speak, because they knew Him to be the Christ.
5. In all of these texts, Jesus is advancing the Kingdom of God!
6. We are to do the same!
1. John 14:12 “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do; because I go to the Father.”
3. Why doesn’t everyone we pray for get healed?
1. Luke 5:17 One day He was teaching; and there were some Pharisees and teachers of the law sitting there, who had come from every village of Galilee and Judea and from Jerusalem; and the power of the Lord was present for Him to perform healing.
2. Luke 6:17-19 ¹⁷Jesus came down with them and stood on a level place; and there was a large crowd of His disciples, and a great throng of people from all Judea and Jerusalem and the coastal region of Tyre and Sidon,¹⁸who had come to hear Him and to be healed of their diseases; and those who were troubled with unclean spirits were being cured.¹⁹And all the people were trying to touch Him, for power was coming from Him and healing them all.
3. John 5:2-9 ²Now there is in Jerusalem by the sheep gate a pool, which is called in Hebrew Bethesda, having five porticoes.³In these lay a multitude of those who were sick, blind, lame, and withered, waiting for the moving of the waters;⁴for an angel of the Lord went down at certain seasons into the pool and stirred up the water; whoever then first, after the stirring up of the water, stepped in was made well from whatever disease with which he was afflicted.⁵A man was there who had been ill for thirty-eight years.⁶When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he had already been a long time in that condition, He said to him, “Do you wish to get well?”⁷The sick man answered Him, “Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, but while I am coming, another steps down before me.”⁸Jesus said to him, “Get up, pick up your pallet and walk.”⁹Immediately the man became well, and picked up his pallet and began to walk. Now it was the Sabbath on that day.
4. Mark 6:5 And He could do no miracle there except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them.
5. Acts 5:14-16 ¹⁴And all the more believers in the Lord, multitudes of men and women, were constantly added to their number,¹⁵to such an extent that they even carried the sick out into the streets and laid them on cots and pallets, so that when Peter came by at least his shadow might fall on any one of them.¹⁶Also the people from the cities in the vicinity of Jerusalem were coming together, bringing people who were sick or afflicted with unclean spirits, and they were all being healed.
6. Acts 19:11-12 ¹¹God was performing extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul,¹²so that handkerchiefs or aprons were even carried from his body to the sick, and the diseases left them and the evil spirits went out.
7. II Tim. 4:20 Erastus remained at Corinth, but Trophimus I left sick at Miletus.
8. Phil. 2:25-27 ²⁵But I thought it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother and fellow worker and fellow soldier, who is also your messenger and minister to my need;²⁶because he was longing for you all and was distressed because you had heard that he was sick. ²⁷For indeed he was sick to the point of death, but God had mercy on him, and not on him only but also on me, so that I would not have sorrow upon sorrow.
9. I Tim. 5:23 No longer drink water exclusively, but use a little wine for the sake of your stomach and your frequent ailments.
4. What about using doctors and medicine, etc. to heal?
1. Let God use all means to heal you!
5. Conclusion

(Unless otherwise indicated all Scripture verses are in the New American Standard Version.)

1. Introduction
2. How to live in the power of God’s Kingdom
1. Acts 3:1-16 ¹Now Peter and John were going up to the temple at the ninth hour, the hour of prayer.²And a man who had been lame from his mother’s womb was being carried along, whom they used to set down every day at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, in order to beg alms of those who were entering the temple.³When he saw Peter and John about to go into the temple, he began asking to receive alms.⁴But Peter, along with John, fixed his gaze on him and said, “Look at us!”⁵And he began to give them his attention, expecting to receive something from them.⁶But Peter said, “I do not possess silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you: In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene—walk!”⁷And seizing him by the right hand, he raised him up; and immediately his feet and his ankles were strengthened.⁸With a leap he stood upright and began to walk; and he entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God.⁹And all the people saw him walking and praising God;¹⁰and they were taking note of him as being the one who used to sit at the Beautiful Gate of the temple to beg alms, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him. ¹¹While he was clinging to Peter and John, all the people ran together to them at the so-called portico of Solomon, full of amazement.¹²But when Peter saw this, he replied to the people, “Men of Israel, why are you amazed at this, or why do you gaze at us, as if by our own power or piety we had made him walk?¹³The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified His servant Jesus, the one whom you delivered and disowned in the presence of Pilate, when he had decided to release Him.¹⁴But you disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked for a murderer to be granted to you,¹⁵but put to death the Prince of life, the one whom God raised from the dead, a fact to which we are witnesses.¹⁶And on the basis of faith in His name, it is the name of Jesus which has strengthened this man whom you see and know; and the faith which comes through Him has given him this perfect health in the presence of you all.”
1. God uses any Christian who is willing to be used by Him!
2. John 5:1-19 ¹After these things there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. ²Now there is in Jerusalem by the sheep gate a pool, which is called in Hebrew Bethesda, having five porticoes.³In these lay a multitude of those who were sick, blind, lame, and withered, waiting for the moving of the waters;⁴for an angel of the Lord went down at certain seasons into the pool and stirred up the water; whoever then first, after the stirring up of the water, stepped in was made well from whatever disease with which he was afflicted.⁵A man was there who had been ill for thirty-eight years.⁶When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he had already been a long time in that condition, He said to him, “Do you wish to get well?”⁷The sick man answered Him, “Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, but while I am coming, another steps down before me.”⁸Jesus said to him, “Get up, pick up your pallet and walk.”⁹Immediately the man became well, and picked up his pallet and began to walk. Now it was the Sabbath on that day.¹⁰So the Jews were saying to the man who was cured, “It is the Sabbath, and it is not permissible for you to carry your pallet.”¹¹But he answered them, “He who made me well was the one who said to me, ‘Pick up your pallet and walk.’”¹²They asked him, “Who is the man who said to you, ‘Pick up your pallet and walk’?”¹³But the man who was healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had slipped away while there was a crowd in that place.¹⁴Afterward Jesus found him in the temple and said to him, “Behold, you have become well; do not sin anymore, so that nothing worse happens to you.”¹⁵The man went away, and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him well. ¹⁶For this reason the Jews were persecuting Jesus, because He was doing these things on the Sabbath.¹⁷But He answered them, “My Father is working until now, and I Myself am working.” ¹⁸For this reason therefore the Jews were seeking all the more to kill Him, because He not only was breaking the Sabbath, but also was calling God His own Father, making Himself equal with God. ¹⁹Therefore Jesus answered and was saying to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, unless it is something He sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, these things the Son also does in like manner.”
1. The key to walking in the power of the Kingdom of God is learning to do what the Father is doing in each situation you’re in!
3. John 5:20 “For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things that He Himself is doing; and the Father will show Him greater works than these, so that you will marvel.”
1. James 4:8a Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.
4. It’s not enough to say the words of the Kingdom of God, we must also do the works of the Kingdom of God!
1. Eph. 4:11-12 ¹¹And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers,¹²for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ.
2. Isaiah 55:8-9 ⁸“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” declares the LORD. ⁹“For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways And My thoughts than your thoughts.”
3. Prov. 25:2 It is the glory of God to conceal a matter, But the glory of kings is to search out a matter.
4. Psalm 115:3 But our God is in the heavens; He does whatever He pleases.
5. Deut. 29:29 “The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our sons forever, that we may observe all the words of this law.”
5. The key is relationship with God !
3. Conclusion

(Unless otherwise indicated all Scripture verses are in the New American Standard Version.)

1. Introduction
2. Parables about the Kingdom of God
1. Matt. 13:31-32 ³¹He presented another parable to them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field;³²and this is smaller than all other seeds; but when it is full grown, it is larger than the garden plants, and becomes a tree, so that THE BIRDS OF THE AIR come and NEST IN ITS BRANCHES.”
1. The Kingdom of God which will one day fill the earth in power and glory, is here now , but in a different form!
2. Matt. 13:33 He spoke another parable to them, “The kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three pecks of meal, until it was all leavened.”
1. This new concept was, instead of the Kingdom of God coming and shaking the earth, the Kingdom of God has come in One who is meek and humble, destined to die, and only has a few disciples (seemingly insignificant)!
3. Matt. 13:44-46 ⁴⁴“The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in the field, which a man found and hid; and from joy over it he goes and sells all that he has, and buys that field. ⁴⁵Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking fine pearls,⁴⁶and upon finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had, and bought it.”
1. Eccl. 11:2 Divide your portion to seven, or even to eight, for you do not know what misfortune may occur on the earth.
2. Eccl. 4:9-10 ⁹Two are better than one because they have a good return for their labor. ¹⁰For if either of them falls, the one will lift up his companion. But woe to the one who falls when there is not another to lift him up.
3. Luke 14:33 “So then, none of you can be My disciple who does not give up all his own possessions.”
4. Jesus is saying: “No matter what it costs you, buy the Pearl!”
4. Mark 10:17-22 ¹⁷And as He was setting out on a journey, a man ran up to Him and knelt before Him, and began asking Him, “Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” ¹⁸And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good except God alone. ¹⁹You know the commandments, ‘DO NOT MURDER, DO NOT COMMIT ADULTERY, DO NOT STEAL, DO NOT BEAR FALSE WITNESS, Do not defraud, HONOR YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER.’”²⁰And he said to Him, “Teacher, I have kept all these things from my youth up.” ²¹And looking at him, Jesus felt a love for him, and said to him, “One thing you lack: go and sell all you possess, and give to the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” ²²But at these words his face fell, and he went away grieved, for he was one who owned much property.

5. Matt. 13:47-50 ⁴⁷“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet cast into the sea, and gathering fish of every kind;⁴⁸and when it was filled, they drew it up on the beach; and they sat down, and gathered the good fish into containers, but the bad they threw away. ⁴⁹So it will be at the end of the age; the angels shall come forth, and take out the wicked from among the righteous,⁵⁰and will cast them into the furnace of fire; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
6. Matt. 7:21-23 ²¹â€œNot everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven; but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven. ²²Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ ²³And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.’”
7. “ Buy the Pearl !”
3. Conclusion

(Unless otherwise indicated all Scripture verses are in the New American Standard Version.)