Missions Sunday, 12th July, 2009
Posted By Teresa Han
Acts 3:1-10
Main Idea: Healing of sickness is part of missions
Objectives: a. To teach that in missions, you need to meet the needs of people. b. To teach that in missions, you need to exercise your faith. c. To teach that in missions, you need to draw people to God.
A. Introduction
- David Livingston was a pioneer missionary to Africa (1813-1873). A native chief named Sachele once asked the missionary a piercing question: “Because it is true that all who die unforgiven are lost forever, why did your nation not come to tell us before now?”
- One of the strongest advocates for mission work was Annie Walker Armstrong. She was impassioned by our Lord’s command to be his witnesses throughout the world. As she sought to carry out this responsibility, she felt called to the role of raising missions awareness and support for missionaries. Her level of commitment to this calling is reflected in her zealous correspondence. Without the luxury of computers or telephones, she used a simple pen to revolutionize mission involvement. Each year she wrote thousands of letters, and in 1893 alone, Annie Armstrong wrote 17,718 letters as an advocate of missions. That’s nearly 50 letters a day, seven days a week. When we think of missions and cour commitment to reaching the world for Christ, may each of us pray for a passion equal to that of Annie Armstrong.
- Today, GMC is doing Missions Sunday, I am going to focus on healing as very much part of missions. The passage today shows it.
- Why healing is very much part of missions? The reason is very simple, every where you go, here in Miri, long houses in Balingian, Kapit, Bintulu, Belaga, and Cambodia; and everywhere, you find people who are sick. They are not accessible to a medical doctor immediately. So, you need to pray for healing.
B. What is so significant about Peter’s healing?
- In the early church, healing was very much part of the apostles’ and disciples’ ministry. You see this in today’s passage. I pray that after you have listened to the sermon today, when you go for mission or when anyone get sick you will pray for healing and expect God to heal.
- Now, bearing in mind, the event of the passage today is after the Pentecost, where the disciples have received the empowerment of the Holy Spirit. It was the Holy Spirit who enabled apostle Peter to heal! You must not miss this point.
- On this usual day where every Jew was going to the temple to worship, apostles Peter and John did the same. They were stopped by a crippled beggar and he asked them to give him money. This is where the whole event of healing unfold.
- Let us see the significance of the event of healing. I see 4 element of significance for your learning in missions today:
- (1). Firstly, the crippled beggar expected to get money from Peter and John. You see this in verses 3 and 5. This was when Peter asked the beggar to look at them. This was when the beggar looked straight into the eyes of Peter and John. You see this in verse 4. For the beggar, who was so lost, so desperate, his immediate need was some money to buy food to feed his stomach everyday. But the apostles saw that his needs were more than that. Apostles saw that he needed healing and salvation.
- Brothers and sisters, in missions, you need to meet the needs of people. People who are lost may not be able to see their deeper need for salvation but in missions, we still need to meet their immediate needs. Meeting their immediate needs or short term needs are means to earn our credibility or our right to preach and make disciples among the people whom we reach out.
- (2). Secondly, the healing of Peter is a demonstration of the presence of power in the name of Jesus Christ. In verse 6, Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.” And then, Peter went on to get him to walk and the crippled man from birth walked. A miracle happened. Notice the authority of healing is coming from the name of Jesus.
- Brothers and sisters, in doing missions, you believe that your God, Jesus Christ is living, you need to use the authority of His name to command for healing of diseases.
- (3). Thirdly, there is great faith in apostle Peter. In verses 7 and 8, after he commanded the crippled beggar from birth to walk, he did not just leave him alone. He took the action of faith and grasped his arm to ask him to stand up and the word of God says, “...instantly the man feels and ankles became strong. He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God.
- I pray that you now see why healing is very much a part of missions. When people see the power of praying in Jesus’ name and healing happened, people come to know Jesus and be saved. However, you healing must not become the only means to do missions. It is just part of it. When it happens, it is God’s doing.
- But, in order for us to do the healing, we must be like Peter, to exercise our faith to pray and heal. Do not be scare that after you pray, healing does not happen. You need to keep exercising your faith in Christ.
- (4). Fourthly, healing of Peter drew people to God. Healing of Peter is very significant because it not only drew the crippled beggar to God but also the crowd who watched. In verse 10, it says, “they regconized him as the same man who used to sit begging at the temple gate called Beautiful, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what happened to him.” Notice the verse says that the crowd who watched were filled with wonder and amazement. Normally, in a miracle, it produces that kind of effect. But in this case, it was brought by apostle Peter, so, people would attribute the miracle to Peter’s God, that is Jesus Christ.
- This miracle drew people to God. If a miracle does not result in anybody worshipping God more; love Jesus more; serve Jesus more; life transformed, I believe God will do the miracle. God will only give a miracle for His purpose.
C. Applications.
- I pray the word of God today has ministered and you are totally convinced that the healing event of Peter is so relevant to help us to do missions. I pray that you are now excited to see how we apply the word of God in our life and in missions ministry in GMC.
- Firstly, as Peter met the needs of the crippled beggar from birth, I pray that you meet the needs of people in missions. I say with absolute certainty that in missions, you cannot just offer the gospel of salvation without meeting the immediate needs or the short term needs. If you have opportunities to pray for healing of sickness, you must do it because it is part of missions. Remember, you are empowered by the Holy Spirit to do it.
- So, in our missions to here in Miri, long houses in Balingian, Kapit, Bintulu, Belaga, and Cambodia, what needs you need to meet? Meeting the needs of people is doing missions!
- The greatest immediate and long term need of the Belaga Penans is education (Gospel of salvation is the primary need of course).
- Secondly, as Peter exercise faith to heal the crippled beggar from birth, you need to exercise faith in missions. I imagine that in this church, some of our faith our getting ‘rusty’ because we seldom exercise our faith in Christ. Because we do not even thank God for the food we take everyday; we do not pray for journey mercy when we travel; we do not preach the gospel to someone; we do not pray to God to overcome our problems; we do not pray to God to send us for missions; we take God for granted and we believe money cannot solve everything; materialism is the key to everything.
- Will pray for God to call you to do missions? Or, this question is simply irrelevant because by virtue of our faith in Christ, as a disciple of Jesus, mission is automatically part of us and a way of life. We have done the 40 days of purpose, you know missions is one of our 5 purposes on earth that God desires us to do.
- Even then, it requires to exercise lots of faith to do missions. We need the faith to overcome all the fears; all the inconvenience we can imagine; all the prices; in order to go out there somewhere to do missions. Jesus has paid the all the price on the cross for the redemption of our sinfulness. As He has done it, he did not without a complain. As He has done so much for you, what is your response to Him.
- I pray that every time when you hear me preach like that, you feel guilty and you will take action to love Him by doing missions in whatever way you can here locally or elsewhere. The point is do something outside the church; outside your family. Of course, if your family members, then, you have to do something about them.
- Thirdly, when you are in mission, make sure that your effort is to draw people to God, not yourself. It is all for Jesus.
D. Conclusion.
- Will people whom you ministered feel amazed by what you have done? Will you become a messenger of Christ in missions?
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