The following notes are adapted from Rev Sun Ho's sermon on Faith v.s. Reality at City Harvest Church 10 November 2018 where she shared a life-transforming revelation of God's goodness such as His desire to heal us of all infirmities and sicknesses.
"His fame spread everywhere! Many people who were in pain and suffering with every kind of illness were brought to Jesus for their healing—epileptics, paralytics, and those tormented by demonic powers were all set free. Everyone who was brought to Jesus was healed!" Matthew 4:24 (TPT)
Everyone who was brought to Jesus was healed. Only believe. Our level of faith has everything to do with our encounter with God. Faith is directly related to our revelation of the goodness of God.
In Psalm 27:13 (NASB), King David confessed, "I would have despaired unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living."
David's life was full of challenges. He was the youngest boy in the family and was tasked to look after sheep away from the comfort of home. When he defeated Goliath, King Saul was envious and sought to kill David. His trouble did not cease when he was coronated as king. He lost his first child with Bathsheba and one of his son, Absalom, attempted a coup to take David's throne. Through it all, David believed that he will see the goodness of God in his lifetime.
Such was David's faith in God, notwithstanding the struggles he had to face, that he was able to affirm, "Bless the Lord, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless His holy name! Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits: Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases," (Psalm 103:1-3; NKJV)
Jesus fulfilled Isaiah's prophecy as “He Himself took our infirmities and bore our sicknesses." (Matthew 8:17; NKJV) Infirmities refer to physical and mental weaknesses, frailty, feebleness, impairment, disability, ailments, illness, and the like.
The following are part of the commandments Jesus gave to His twelve disciples, "Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give." (Matthew 10:8; NKJV)
Would Jesus have mentioned all these works of miracles if God is bereft of the power to deliver? Of course, God has the power to perform miracles in addition to delivering us from the power of sin (which is death).
In reality, we have prayed for the sick but not all have been healed.
How do we navigate this tension of faith versus reality? We do not have all the answers. Some deep things of God will remain in the realm of mystery until we have a revelation. They are hidden for us to discover.
"It is the glory of God to conceal a matter, but the glory of kings is to search out a matter." (Proverbs 25:2; NKJV)
In Mark 8:22-25 the blind man saw men like trees. He needed to contend for more from Jesus so as to see men as men with clarity. We need to persist in our prayer like prophet Elijah who prayed for rain.
In Mark 9:14-29 a father brought his child who was tormented by a mute spirit to Jesus for healing. ""Jesus said to him, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.” Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!”" (Mark 9:23-24; NKJV)
The disciples could not cast out the death and dumb spirit. Jesus explained that this type comes out only by prayer and fasting. Depths of intimacy with the Father has caused Jesus to access the realms of heaven.
The degree of faith demonstrated by us is dependent upon revelations through encounters.
We stop praying because we stop believing God. You have stopped praying because you have stopped believing in the goodness of God based on your circumstances rather than faith in God-- that God loves you and loves to bless you.
Neither God nor His Word has changed. Won't we draw nearer to Him and contend for more of Him in our life as His royal sons and daughters?
"Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior." -- Habakkuk 3:17-18 (NIV)
In 2 Chronicles 20:21 - 22 the people rejoices in the LORD and God defeated their enemies for them.
Find strength in your heart to praise and worship Him. You cannot go to war where you have not gone into intimacy with God.
When Jesus died on the cross the veil of the temple of God was torn in two so that we can come into intimacy with God.
It is our privilege and honor to have intimacy with God. (Do you see this open revelation of the extent of God's goodness?! Or, do you get more excited when you have direct access to an earthly Who's Who than God Himself?)
How we treat or honour God is a reflection of the worth we ascribe to Him. (Do you cheer more for your favourite team in the sports arena than the King of Kings and Lord of Lords in church?)
Coming to church is a privilege to enter into a place of engagement with God. It is an honour to minister to God personally. When we are in deep communion with God, the result is spiritual authority. And, we will begin to do more and more of the kind of miracles that Jesus did.
Let us build heaven’s culture of His Presence; a culture of faith in this House of God. Miracles demonstrate the love of the God the Father. Contend for more of God’s Kingdom and His goodness.
Note: Will be posting the link to YouTube once the sermon has been uploaded. It will remove whatever lingering doubts you have concerning the goodness of God when the reality is not aligned with His assured goodness yet.
Meanwhile, click here for CityWorship - Worship With Us playlist to spur you on to honour God with praise and worship.
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