GIFTS OF HEALINGS

(1 Cor. 12:9; 27-30)

Preached by:  Carolyn Sissom

October 28, 2007

The Lord spoke to me in a dream on Friday night two words, “Healing Service”.  In that light, we are making a side trip from our study on Genesis to “Gifts of Healings”.  Although it is worth noting that the first mention of healing is in Genesis 20:7;17:   Abraham prayed to God and God healed Abimelech, his wife, and his slave girls so they could have children again, for the Lord had closed up every womb in Abimelech’s household because of Abraham’s wife, Sarah”.

1 Cor. 12:27-30:  “Now you are the body of Christ, and members in particular, and God has set some in the church, first apostles, second, prophets, third teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.  Are all apostles?  Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Are all workers of miracles?  Have all gifts of healing?   Do all speak with tongues?  Do all interpret?  But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet show I unto you a more excellent way.”

There are various means of administering Divine healing:  I have listed nine (9).  If there are others, there is no intent to limit the Gifts of Healings.

1. Laying on of hands. (Mark 7:32) “They brought unto him one that was deaf, and had an impediment in his speech; and they asked him to put his hand upon him.” I counted eight (8) cases in the Bible where Jesus touched people and they were healed.
2. The spoken Word.  (Ps. 107:20) “He sent his Word and healed them.” Demonstrated by Jesus when he healed the Centurion’s servant. (Mt. 8: 5-13)

Three kinds of people came to Jesus for healing.

(a)   Those who came for healing personally.

(b)   Those who brought someone else for healing.

(c)    Those who came and sought only His spoken Word.

3. The elders anoint with oil and pray.  “Is any sick among you, let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord.” (James 5:14)
4. The prayer of Faith.  “And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he has committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.”
5. The Lord’s Supper (1 Cor. 11:23-30)” - The Atonement.   For he that eats and drinks unworthily, eats and drinks damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body.  For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep.”
6. Through a point of contact (Mark 6:56) “And wherever he entered, into villages, or cities, or country, they laid the sick in the streets, and besought him that they might touch if it were but the border of his garment: and as many as touched him were made whole.”  This is the covenant of the ribband of blue (Numbers 15:37-40) There are many instances where people touched Jesus and were healed.   (Mark 3:10)  Sea of Galilee:  “He healed many, so that as many as had afflictions pressed about Him to touch Him.”

7. By handkerchiefs and aprons (Acts 19: 11-12) “And God wrought special miracles by the hands of Paul:  so that from his body were brought unto the sick handkerchiefs or aprons, and they diseases departed from them, and the evil spirits went out of them.”

8. By casting out devils (Luke 8:26-39)

9. By gifts of healings (1 Cor. 12:9) This is through those who have been anointed as Healers.  I believe this would be inclusive of the medical profession as well as those who minister Divine Healing.

I was going back through my sermons on Healing.  On April 23, 1994, I wrote this note:  “The winds will bring forth the power of God.”  In view of the winds of fire and flood, we have experienced in America, I believe we can expect those same winds to usher in the power of God to heal. 

There are various kinds of healings in the Scripture:

1. Instantaneous (Mt. 3:3) “Jesus put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will; be thou clean. And immediately his leprosy was cleansed.
2. Gradual or Progressive (Jn. 4:52) One reason for this is a deep spiritual work is being done.
3. Conditional (11 Kg. 5: 1-14) Naaman, Captain of the host of the King of Syria, was a great man and honorable, because by him the Lord had given deliverance unto Syria; he was also a mighty man in valor, but he was a leper...  Elisha told him to go wash in the Jordan seven times and your flesh will come again to you and you shall be clean.”
4. Unconditional (Mt. 20:29-34) “And behold two blind men sitting by the way side, when they heard that Jesus passed by, cried out, saying, Have mercy on us, O Lord, you Son of David.”

The bible teaches us that sickness is brought about three ways.

1. Satan (Acts. 10:38)
2. Sin (Deut. 28: 58-61)
3. For the Glory of God. “When Jesus heard that, he said, This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby.”

The law says that sickness is due to sin.  The power of sin is the law (1 Cor. 15:56).  But thanks be to God, He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.  Therefore my dear brothers stand firm.  Let nothing move you.  Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.

  When Jesus healed the paralyzed boy:  “Jesus saw their faith and he said, “Son be of good cheer, your sins are forgiven, Arise, take your mat and go home.”   To His disciples he said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.  I desire mercy, not sacrifice.  For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

To the woman with the issue of blood, he said, “Your faith has made you whole.”

To the blind men, he touched their eyes and said, “According to your faith will it be done to you. and their sight was restored.

“When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless.”

He gave his twelve disciples authority to drive out evil spirits and heal every disease and sickness.

“Heal the sick, raise the dead, and cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons.  Freely you have received freely give.

Acts 3:  When Peter healed the beggar, He said, “by faith in the name of Jesus that comes through him that has given this complete healing to him.”

Acts 14: When Paul healed the cripple, Paul saw that he had the faith to be healed and called out, “Stand up on your Feet!”

The Gifts of Healings are power gifts and like all the other gifts are worthless without love and the fruit of the Spirit.  These gifts are not given for show, but for service.  It is committed to the corporate body in the new Covenant.

We will close with Isaiah 53:1-3:  By His Wounds We are Healed!!

“Who has believed our report?  And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?  He grew up before him like a tender shoot and like a root out of dry ground.  He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, noting in his appearance that we should desire him.  He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and familiar with suffering.  Like one from whom men hide their faces, he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

These verses look back to the Servant’s humiliation, depicted in terms of sickness.  The natural reaction to such sufferings it to turn away from the sufferer; but more than that it was commonplace in the world of ancient Israel to reject and despise people in deep suffering, since it was viewed as a sure sign of God’s displeasure; as Job’s comforters testify.  This was true in certain Pentecostal communities even up until the 1980’s.  I have heard more than one religious spirit say, “If there is trouble in your life, it is due to sin.”  Well I came out of the gate preaching this message.  Part of which according to my notes is dated August 15, 1993.

But a very different explanation is appropriate for the Servant’s humiliation – so different that the onlookers are incredulous at the news.  They are forced to review their thinking not only because of what they are told, but because of the arm of the Lord – the revelation of God’s power is turning the servant’s dishonor into glory and power.

Isa. 53: 4-9:  “Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted, but he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.  We all like sheep have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquities of us all.  He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before his shearers is silent, so he did not open His mouth.”

The explanation is now given.  The servant’s sufferings were not because of his own grievous sins.  As everyone would have supposed, but entirely and unambiguously on behalf of others. 

For my people, they had sinned, he had not; their sins had brought deep affliction upon Him, but the guilty reaped not retribution but blessing.  The picture of illness changes in Verse 7; The Servant is now portrayed as a man on trial for his life, innocent, but nevertheless condemned and executed.  This change is intended not so much to predict the exact nature of Christ’s sufferings, as to highlight the character of the Servant.  He is not really like a patient and resigned sick man, merely stoic in suffering, but someone who deliberately chooses not to defend himself from false accusations, condemnation and execution.  Only by silently accepting the suffering could he bring blessing to others.  This is the Kingly anointing.

Psalm 41:1 “Blessed is he who has regard for the weak; the Lord delivers him in time of trouble.  The Lord will protect him and preserve his life; He will bless him in the land not surrender him to the desire of his foes.  The Lord will sustain him on his sickbed and restore him on his bed of illness.  I said, “O Lord have Mercy on me; heal me, for I have sinned against you.”

Then the basis of our healing is Redemption and Faith in the finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ. 

Carolyn Sissom, Pastor

Eastgate Ministries, Inc.

Taken from my teaching notes of 1993 and 1994.  If I quoted from another minister’s papers, I have long ago forgotten who it was.  Please forgive me.

Also there are quotes from Tabernacle of Moses by K.V.  and F.F. Bruce Bible Commentary