SIN, SORROW, SICKNESS - THE ANSWER - SAVIOR AND SPIRIT

SIN, SORROW, SICKNESS - THE ANSWER - SAVIOR AND SPIRIT

updated: 5/27/11
updated: 5/26/11
wrote: 5/10/11

The old hymn tells us the truth of this title, ‘Out of my bondage, sorrow and night; Jesus I come’. A vast amount of prayer are being offered up daily for the first 3 words of our study - sin, sorrow and sickness. Many prayers are being offered, even now, in ICU’s and hospitals and will be offered at funeral homes today. Many a person struggles with the Satanic attacks of drugs, lusts, alcohol and other temptations, few find deliverance. Many will say that this is the way of the world and will always be this way. But I could tell you and share with you, that this is just as reflective of the church and Christians today as well. So whether lost or saved, individual or family or church, all are struggling and looking for help and answers. Our answers, as some of you may know is in the last part of our title. The answer is found in Christ Jesus and the blessed Holy Spirit. I want us to look at a portion of Scripture and then begin to see where we are and where we need to go in our witness and walk with God.

Our Scripture: Acts 8:21- 23, “Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter: for thy heart is not right in the sight of God. V. 22 Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee. V. 23 For I perceive that thou art in the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity.”

In this chapter 8 of Acts we see Philip going into Samaria. Through the work of persecution He caused and allowed for His church to start reaching out to Judea, Samaria and to the uttermost parts of the earth. Philip goes into these cities of Samaria and they found Jesus, ‘there was great joy in the city.’ Satan always has his people as well. The conflict between good and evil is always existing in this world. There was a man there named Simon, a sorcerer. He was the agent of sin, the devil’s pawn for this city and area. Now comes the Gospel, the vessel and means of light and deliverance. The invitation is extended and the people respond to it. Even this Simon, sees and desires it. Philip is seeing many come to know Christ as Lord and Savior. But for some reason, unknown to me, Philip does not have the ability to lay hands on them so that they might be filled with the Holy Spirit. They have the Savior that saves them from their sins and saves their souls. But they do not have the Spirit to empower them.

There are many today in the church that recognize Christ as Savior from our sins, but never sees nor acknowledges the Spirit. Thus, we have a saved, but powerless church. Powerless against hell; against sin; against sorrow and against sickness. When you read the Gospels, and the book of Acts do you see the great hand of God upon His people to defeat sin, sickness and sorrows? When you read of the great saints and days of revival, all 3 major S’s were taken care of. Sorrow was turned into joy; sicknesses were healed; and sin was removed. In order for a complete Gospel, all 3 of the Holy Trinity - Father, Son and Spirit are needed and desired. None of the Holy God Trinity are to be rejected or left out, or we leave room for Satan to do his best work among the witness and the people of God.

What we see and hear today among the church in North America is a captive, sick and sorrowing people. The bible teaches the exact opposite of these 3 things in a believers heart. Jesus told us that the church (we as believers) would have sorrow and suffering through persecution. ‘If I have suffered, so also will you suffer’. but the command was that we are to face such suffering with joy, for He has overcome and ‘greater is He that is in us than he that is in the world.’ Do you see such joy in the church? Do you have such joy in you own life and walk?

It is the constant prayer requests of many churches, families and individual lives that they are not free and in joy. But bound by fleshly, carnal habitual sins and their joy is drowned in their sorrow of sin. Is there any greater sorrow than to see a Christian shackled in sin? Pornography in the church, in families, in the pulpits and leadership of the churches is resisting and quenching the power of the Holy Spirit in their ministries and lives. The next sin of binding on the horizon that will need to be dealt with by the church is the habitual use of prescription drugs. They are hooked in habitual useage and sin of this. A generation ago, the sin of tobacco was the culprit. Research came out and revealed the destruction so many by cancer as a direct response to this sin. Many a preacher and church took a stand against tobacco but many did not see it as sin. They did not regard the preaching against sin, in ‘your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost’. they did not see this as viable, until cancer research showed the direct relationship. Oh, what destruction has drugs and sin caused the people of God. They would not hear, they would not understand, they would not cease their sin. And because of a direct effect, sorrow ( the death and sickness of so many) and sin ( the quenching of the Holy Spirit) have plagued the people of God.

This man, Simon, sees Peter come and lay hands on these new believers to receive the power of the Spirit in their lives. This power of the Holy Ghost is what makes men over- comers. ‘Not by might, nor by strength, but by My Spirit saith the Lord.’ ‘Wait until you be endued with power from on high.‘ And on the 10th day they were endued with power and 3000 were saved and great miracles happened after they were endued. I simply say, we must wait and be endued before going forward without power to overcome.

Simon had controlled these people for years, by tactics of fear and intimidation. Now he saw a new way to maintain control and dominance, through the laying on of hands. He wanted this power, he wanted to be able to do what Peter was doing. It never occurred to him that if Philip, the great preacher, was not doing this, what made him think that he could? Our pride, as Simon’s, causes us more trouble than we care to admit. I would ask of you to listen to peoples use of pronouns when they talk about the Lord and their ministry. The humanistic ideal of so many today is the ‘I’ and ‘me’ usage. The spiritual ideal is ’Look what the Lord has done.’ Simon is filled with ’I’ and ’me’. Make sure your sin is not vanity, pride and the love of self. Make sure you are not always using, 'I' and 'me' when praise and credit ought to be offered unto the Lord. 'Not I but Christ Who lives in me', is the ture christian motto.

When the Holy Spirit is grieved and men are left without power to do anything. They foster the work of the Lord to do something, to accomplish something. No doubt, Simon tried to do it, but with failure. This is what led him to ask Peter for the power to do it. When you look to men, they will fail. God is faithful and sure, a rock and steadfast for His people. ’trust in the Lord, look not to a friend; put not your confidence in the one that lays her head on your chest.’ Our confidence is in God alone. Do not look to men and family for support and encouragement. Either the Lord is sufficient or He is not. He was not the first or last that tried to use the Spirit of God. There was seven sons of Sceva who tried to cast out a demon. And when they failed to exercise the power of the Holy Spirit to do such a thing, the evil spirit replied: 'Paul, I know; and Jesus, I know; but who are you?' And he immediately attacked and whipped all 7 sons driving them from the house. It is a costly thing to try to manage and use the Holy Spirit for your own selfish endeavor.

Is it clear to us that the sin of self is our problem today? God is not lacking power or ability. Yea, He is able to do abundantly above all that we ask of Him. It is not God; it is us. We are the ones at fault. Sin is the great destroyer of the work of God today around the world, in the church, in our families and in our own lives. Bound and captive by our sins of pride, self-reliance, self-assurance and love of praise of men and glory for our own egos. Simon wanted all this for his own self. Many a minister/pastor, and leader today wants it for their own selves. They are working so hard to be somebody. The lesson has not be taught nor learned yet - to be somebody for God you must first be come nobody at the cross.

Are you able to say this: ‘Who am I? I am nothing, but a sinner saved by grace. Powers and abilities given by the merciful, gracious, benevolent God in heaven and earth. Allowing me a brief moment in time to do something for His glory and His kingdom. I am not my own; but bought with the price of Christ’s blood. Infused with the likeness of God in manner, talk, thought and desire. Casting away anything that limits or hinders His image in me. Detesting all that robs me of His Own glory and image. Here I am Lord, send me.’ These words are not simply said and voiced. They are not vain repetition. They are the very desire and purpose of living from a heart surrendered and consecrated to Him for His glory. They are nothing of self; but everything of Him. Can you say this? Have you said this?

Now let us look how Peter answers this man, called Simon the sorcerer. ‘Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter’ - was he saved or not? Did he believe what Philip had preached in his mind and what his eyes had seen, but not received it into his heart? The old preacher asked the man if he was saved. He answered the preacher, 'I believe in Jesus Christ.' The old preacher replied to him, 'There is 18 inces of difference from believing in Christ with your head and your heart.' Simon was one that no doubt, saw and believed in Christ in his head. But his hearts actions proved he was not born again. Peter rebuked him harshly and confirmed this truth, by saying, 'I perceive thou are in a gall of bitterness.' Oh, how many are in a gall of bitterness. They know that Christ is Lord and the Son of God. But they never embraced Him as their Lord. They never made room for Him in their heart and life. They still function and live for self. They only need God when emergencies come. They are in a gall of bitterness.

Do you know anyone like this? Are you one that having made a 'profession of faith' still find yourself empty and void of purpose and joy? Have you been set free? Is there power in your life? I see and hear from so many that are still shackled and bound in sin. They never came ot the cross and died. They never took their sin to Calvary and crucified them there. They carry them around like a ball and chain. So easy to fall, so prone to wander; to leave the God I love. This was not the power of Acts that sets me free. In the book of Exodus, God spoke to Moses and said, 'I know their sorrow'. He is touched with the 'gall of bitterness' in so many. christ looked on the feeble, hungry and weak and had compassion. Think not for a moment that God does not love His creation and have care for their eternity. Oh, how He loves you and me. Such Divine love is stretched out to all the world for the saving of lost men and women. To deliver them from the 'gall of bitterness' that they may rejoice with joy unspeakable.

Simon immediately upon his reubke from Peter requests of Peter that he would pray for him. Pray that these things would not happen to me. Pray that my gall of bitterness be removed. Pray, Peter, Pray! We find here our first remedy for 'sin, sickness and sorrow', it is in the power of prayer. Prayer introduces us to the thorne of God. It brings us boldly into the throne of grace where we may ask and request and petition the Almighty God to do great things. Things so wonderful and mighty that no other explanation can be given but, 'This is God.'

CONTINUE. . . .