The Role of the Church -Message 3

The Role of the Church in Wise medical Decisions
If we study the origin of Medicine (the science and art of maintaining or restoring human health) we will discover that herbal medicine was first used. Then we find types of medical treatment through-out time from Egypt to Babylon to Persia to Rome to the modern era.
The symbol of many modern medical practices and drug companies is a short rod entwined by two snakes and topped by a pair of wings, which is actually the magic wand of the Greek god Hermes. He was the messenger of the gods; the inventor of magic; the conductor of the dead and protector of merchants and thieves.
This symbol was derived from Greek mythology. The Greeks deified Asclepius, a Greek physician, as the demigod of medicine and healing in ancient Greek mythology over 600 years before Christ.
He is pictured with a single serpent encircling a staff and is traditionally depicted as a bearded man wearing a robe that leaves his chest uncovered and holding that staff that symbolizes the renewal of youth as the serpent casts off its skin. The second new serpent was added probably representing the newness of life due to modern medicine. (That doesn’t sound very Christians does it?”
Asclepius represents the healing aspect of the medical arts, while his six daughters symbolize the forces of cleanliness, medicine and healing, respectively.
His daughter, Hygieia was the goddess of health, cleanliness and sanitation and played an important part in her father's cult. She was associated with the prevention of sickness and the continuation of good health.
She was often depicted as a young woman feeding a large snake that was wrapped around her body. Sometimes the snake would be drinking from a jar that she carried.
Five other daughters represented various healings: Panacea was the goddess of healing and cures. Laso was the goddess of recuperation. Aceso was the goddess of recovery. Meditrina was the goddess of longevity, and Aglaea was the goddess of natural beauty.

In the Old Testament days God told Israel that if they would be obedient to Him and walk in righteousness he would not allow the diseases of the world to fall on them.
What you must realize is that for thousands of years believers have trusted in the world’s methods and ways rather than God’s word.
For many people to make the proper change, it would take first, learning truth and then being persuaded that God’s way is best.
For our health to be renewed it would take many, many years of right understanding and right eating habits. Often we or our children experience sickness that has been passed down for many generations.
Many times, these sicknesses are the result of inherited genes. So, don’t blame yourself for diseases that you or your family might be experiencing. Just determine to do right, think right and act right as to bring a cure and not to pass those diseases to the next generation.
America is boasting of good health and the fact that we are living longer than ever. Be cautious, we have reached the top of the mountain and with people trusting in modern medicine and not God’s word; we are going to see that trend over the next generations slowly decline.

THE ROLE OF THE CHURCH
The Message tonight is one I believe to be the most important message to consider in modern times when a person becomes sick.
It reveals the role of the church and the great impact God’s people in the church can have on our health.
In the past few studies we saw how one’s actions and attitude will play a great part in our health.
-Our actions of submissiveness and obedience to the Lord will be vital to our health.
Our attitudes of love and joy will also increase our health. People with compassionate and forgiving hearts will naturally be healthy and enjoy life much more than those who lack that understanding

Tonight I will reveal how a fourteen-year-old girl who was diagnosed with scoliosis and experienced three years of pain, seeking help from doctors and specialist to no avail, was cured from a Biblical method.
I will also reveal a two-year old boy who had a brain tumor of which no person in medical history lived from, but was cured from the same Biblical method. Then I shall reveal to you that method.

SCOLIOSIS
One mother writes, “Our daughter of fourteen was diagnosed with scoliosis about three years ago. We went to several bone doctors, including a scoliosis specialist. She was in pain most of the time and could not do things such as vacuuming, sweeping, making her bed, etc. It had gotten to the pint that she could not get up from a chair without pain.
In early September (this was June a year later) we had her anointed with oil and our pastor and church staff prayed for her according to the teaching of James 5. Since that time she has been free of pain. Her back is definitely straighter. She can now live a normal life. Praise the Lord!”
PRIMITIVE NEUROECTODERMAL CANCER
A massive brain tumor was discovered in a two-and-a-half-year-old boy. A specialist confirmed the worst fears of the doctors. It was a primitive neuroectodermal (Noor-oh-eck-toe-DER-mul) cancer. It was attached to the cells of the child’s brain. It was the size of an orange with “fingers” extending into various parts of the brain.
When the stunned parents asked the specialist what the chances of survival were, he said “I have studied all the cases of this disease in the Western Hemisphere and have not found any survivors.”
What do the parents do at a time like this? They could not put their confidence in the doctors because the doctors had just acknowledged that they were unable to offer any hope.
Furthermore, to trust doctors in the face of a terminal disease is to follow the fatal error of King Asa. He had a foot disease that grew worse…yet in his disease he sought not the Lord, but to the physicians… and died…” (II Chronicles 16:12-13).
To do nothing about a serious illness is to earn the reproof of James 4:2, “…Ye have not, because ye ask not.”
The parents yielded their son’s life and their will to the Lord. At the same time, they did not reject proper medical treatment. One day a doctor planned to carry out a dangerous experimental procedure. At the time of the operation, he changed his mind and walked out saying, “He is too far gone.” It was then that the parents carefully studied and followed the instructions in James 5:14-16. (Medical Training Institute of America)

James 5: 14 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:
15 And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.
16 Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.
1 – BE UNDER THE SPIRITUAL PROTECTION OF A LOCAL CHURCH.
Paul’s epistles were written to local churches. The book of Revelation was written to seven local churches. God’s gifts are given to individuals to be used in the local churches.
Evidence has shown that when members of any local church will place them selves under the authority of that church to pray for one another, their family and the church; 1) There will be drastic decrease in sickness and accidents. 2) Rebellion in families will decrease and 3) Unemployment will decrease.
Ill. In one church a number of newborn babies had died. In one year three such babies had died. The pastor taught the church the importance or praying for each other and the families within the church. Since that time there have been many children born and no deaths. (Matt 18:19)
2 – CALL FOR THE ELDERS OF THE CHURCH
It is the responsibility of the one sick to have the faith and belief that God’s word is true and therefore the sick one or family must call for the elders of the church. The elders are not to initiate the action of this passage.
The sickness can be of any type from a common headache to cancer. It can refer to physical or mental sickness. It can even be the healing of a nation, a church family or a drought as in Elijah’s day.

There are many significant benefits when one calls for the elders of the church to pray for them:
1 – Transparent: The church becomes aware of the need of that person.
2 – Faith: The sick submits to God’s method of healing by faith.
3 – Glory to God: If healing comes glory is given to God, if not the church is drawn closer to God and each other.
4 – Testimony: God’s healing is a testimony to others of God’s power.
5 – Spiritual cleansing: It takes place in lives that we can not see.

When do we call for the elders of the church? If your sickness would make you go to the doctors (as Asa) you should first call for the elders of the church to pray for you.
What if it is a child that doesn’t understand or one to sick to ask for help? In either case, others can call for the elders of the church.
a. The Shunammite woman cried out to Elisha for healing of her son. Elisha came and healed him (II Kings 4:18-37).
b. The nobleman from Canaan appealed to Jesus for the healing of his son, and the Lord Jesus healed him (John 4:46-54).
c. Jarius, a ruler of the synagogue, pleaded with Jesus to heal his daughter who was at the point of death. Jesus healed her (Mark 5:21-43).
d. The man sick with palsy was carried by four men to Jesus. Jesus forgave his sin and healed his sickness ( Luke 5:17-26).
The elders must be spiritual men with no unconfessed sin in their lives. They must be the spiritual leaders of their home (I Timothy 3, Titus 1).

3 – CONFESS FAULTS AND SINS
The sick person should confess their faults and sins. The question we must answers is, “Is there any sin in our life which may have caused this sickness or which might hinder God from healing me?”
It should be the right of the pastor to ask the question? If that person is offended by the question then it is quite evident that the sin of pride will prevent healing anyway.
Anger, bitterness, envy, jealousy, hate, strife, debate, and many sins such as these bring guilt. Guilt brings a drying out of the bones and joints. (Psalm 32:3-4) Thus, sins must be confessed for healing.
Parents must confess their sins as well if a child is constantly sick. Exodus 20:4-5 makes it clear that we pass our sins to the third and fourth generations. Yea, our sins are visited upon our children.
Example: Because of king David’s sin his child developed a sickness unto death. What would happen if those who are hiding sins of lust, adultery, fornication, bitterness, pass and present in their hearts confessed them? Would it help bring healing to us and our children?
Illustration: One family gave this testimony. In a church in Texas a girl had a very serious disease. The elders fasted for three days. It was a time of examination and confessing. When they met with the parents and child and much fervent prayer was made, no results took place. Finally the father confessed a hidden sin in his life and dealt with it. Immediately, God brought deliverance to the girl.
Not only must the one seeking healing have a pure life and a pure heart but the elders must have their sins confessed as well. Psalms 66:18, “If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me.”
Confession is letting others know about my secret faults so that God does not get blamed when I experience the just consequences of them.
Sin doesn’t just affect us. When Achan sinned it brought defeat to the nation of Israel. So often souls are not saved and lives are not changed in church because there is so much unconfessed sin in the pews and pulpits of our churches.
When should confession be made? It would be wise to meet with the pastor and elders before the anointing of oil. The anointing of oil can take place anywhere. It can take place in the pastor’s office, a Sunday school room or before the Church.

4 – UNDERSTAND THE PRAYER OF FAITH.
Faith is knowing what God wants to do and cooperating with Him.
“Faith without works (or actions) is dead.”
By prayer and faith one needs to know why they are sick.
1 – Is it a sickness unto death?
2 – Is it a sickness unto chastisement?
3 – Is it a sickness unto the glory of God?
1) A sickness unto death is realizing that we aren’t promised tomorrow and that physical death was decreed upon all mankind.
Example: Elisha had power to raise the dead and heal many sickness yet he was sick unto death (II Kings 13:14) and he died. Even after he died a corpse was thrown in his grave and the dead man revived.
Lazarus got sick and he died but his sickness was not unto death.

2) A sickness unto chastisement is brought forth by Paul in I Corinthians 11:27-32. When people will not examine their lives and confess their sins but boldly take communion whether it is physically or spiritually sicknesses will come.

3) A sickness unto the glory of God is a sickness whereby God heals us for His glory or allows the sickness for His glory.
Lazarus got sick and died. Jesus said that his sickness was not unto death but for the glory of God, that the Son of god might be glorified thereby” (John 11:4).
In John’s Gospel a man was blind. The disciples asked Jesus who sinned, this man or his parents. Jesus said neither but that the works of God should be made manifest in him (John 9:2-3).
The Apostle Paul was sick. He prayed three times that the Lord would heal him but God didn’t. Paul responded by saying, “Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”

Where does the faith rest?
It can rest with the sick or in the related family. The Canaanite woman pleaded with Jesus to heal her daughter. He healed her daughter and said, “O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt” (Matt 15:22-28).
Four men brought a paralytic on a stretcher to Jesus. Jesus healed the man according to the faith of those that brought him.

How often should a person be anointed?
Elijah prayed for rain several time before the rains came.
Paul prayed three times for healing of the thorn in his flesh.
The persistent widow prayed to the point where she wearied the unjust judge (Luke 18:7-8).
It seems to be a great lack of faith on the Christian parts in the fact that they will ask the Church to pray for them once and then go to the doctor a dozen times for the same sickness.

5 – BE ANOINTED WITH OIL
The anointing of oil is a general term used to anoint one in any manner whether physical or refreshment.
- Peter anointed the sick with oil (Mark 6:12-13).
- The Good Samaritan anointed the beaten traveler with oil.
- Mary anointed the feet of Jesus with oil for His burial.
Lastly consider these illustrations:
Illustration: A couple had gone through nine years of marriage with no children. The woman had three surgeries to remove some endometrial tissue and gone through five years of infertility testing.
The woman says, “The night before we were anointed with oil the pastor of the church talked with us for two and a half hours.
After sharing past sins, hurts, and bitterness we felt clean and forgiven. The pastor prayed with us and anointed us with oil.
One month later we went to our Christian doctor, who confirmed that I was pregnant. We conceived on the same night after we were anointed with oil. Even though I was thirty-six years old we hope to have a “quiver full.”

Illustration: Our son, Tim, had a rare blood disorder called aplastic anemia. The bone marrow fails to make new blood cells. He immediately needed hospitalization and blood transfusions to keep him alive. Our church body prayed and nine men came to the hospital to anoint him with oil. The prognosis was grim. They gave Tim only five months to live and this was the fourth month.
According to all data there was no hope. Tim however was sharing his faith. He would say, “I want to be healed but what is the worse thing that could happen? Death? I’m not afraid of that, because I will be with Jesus.
At the end of September, the fourth month, the doctors still gave us no hope. We signed him out of the hospital. We put him on nutritious foods and exercise. Slowly, his blood count climbed. In one year his blood count was in the safety range. His sickness was evidently for the glory of God.

In conclusion: You have to decide who will decide if you are sick or healthy or who you will trust to heal your child - God or the doctor.
Thank God for modern medicine but a thousand times more Praise God for the truth of his word whereby we don’t have to get sick and stay sick.
We need to know as much as we can about God’s word and what God teaches about health and put it into practice.
Then we can choose the ways of Jehovah God or Asclepius.