Healing Power Transforms Lives - Acts 9
Pastor Dan Walker, PhD, MDiv
Sermon Introduction
Today we’re going to talk about “Healing Power Transforms Lives.” The Bible shows us that God is a healing God throughout God’s Word.
Exodus 15:26 (ESV)
saying “If you will diligently listen to the voice of the LORD your God and do that which is right in his eyes and give ear to his commandments and keep all his statutes I will put none of the diseases on you that I put on the Egyptians for I am the LORD your healer.”
God promises to bring healing to those who follow and obey him. The healing power of God is there for physical, emotional, and spiritual healing. Sin often brings sickness of one kind or another into people’s lives.
However, not all sickness is caused by sin; much is simply a result of living in a fallen world. Regardless of the cause of sickness, God desires to bring healing. Jesus showed us what God’s will is regarding healing.
Matthew 9:35 (ESV)
And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction.
We see that preaching the gospel of the kingdom and healing came together in Jesus’ ministry. Jesus’ ministry brought the kingdom of heaven to earth; there is no sickness in heaven. The book of James gives us instructions on how to bring healing in the church.
James 5:14–15 (ESV)
Is anyone among you sick? 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. And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick and the Lord will raise him up.
This is why we have prayer for healing of all kinds every Sunday morning. We encourage everyone who needs a healing touch of any kind to be prayed for.
James 5:16 (ESV)
Therefore confess your sins to one another and pray for one another that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.
James reminds us that in order for healing to take place we must be sure to confess any known sin so that we may receive God’s healing touch. These verses and many others show us the transformative power of God’s healing. Through faith, prayer, and the support of our church family, we can experience miraculous healing and restoration.
As we learn today how the healing ministry of Jesus was carried on by His followers, let’s open our hearts to respond with faith for God to heal today.
Recognize God’s Healing Power
Acts 9:31 (ESV)
So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria had peace and was being built up. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit it multiplied.
Last Sunday Pastor John preached about how Saul became a believer and was preaching rather than persecuting. The church had the peace of God and was growing. There are two reasons for God’s blessing given here.
The believers were walking in the fear of the Lord, meaning they were being obedient and not walking in sin. Secondly, the believers were walking in the comfort of the Holy Spirit. They were listening to, being filled with, and guided by the Holy Spirit.
Acts 9:32–33 (ESV)
Now as Peter went here and there among them all he came down also to the saints who lived at Lydda. There he found a man named Aeneas bedridden for eight years who was paralyzed.
Peter was traveling through the country doing what Jesus had done, preaching and healing the sick. While at the town of Lydda, he met a bedridden man who couldn’t walk named Aeneas. On talking to him, he discovered that he was paralyzed and had been for eight years.
This paralysis was most likely due to an accident and couldn’t be healed medically then or now. For Peter, an illness or disability was an opportunity for Jesus to work a miracle.
Acts 9:34–35 (ESV)
And Peter said to him “Aeneas Jesus Christ heals you; rise and make your bed.” And immediately he rose. And all the residents of Lydda and Sharon saw him and they turned to the Lord.
Peter had no special incantations or prayers; he simply spoke to Aeneas. He said Jesus Christ heals you; rise and make your bed. Peter didn’t pray for the man, although there would be nothing wrong with that as we saw in the passage from James 5.
In faith, Peter spoke a command and the response was immediate. The paralyzed man did what was impossible for him; he rose from his sick bed healed. And what was the response of the surrounding cities?
The news of the miracle traveled fast and far. And the people who heard of the healing miracle turned to the Lord and got saved. We must recognize God’s healing power.
Application
This healing story and many others like it are there to build our faith in God’s power to heal. God is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. God still heals today when the prayer or command of faith is spoken.
Is everyone healed instantly? Some are; others are healed over time. Some are healed through medicine; others through supernatural miracles. Can a person be healed through their own prayers? Sometimes.
However, the main way that a person is healed is through the prayer of someone else in the church family, according to James. God gives gifts of healing to certain people; not everyone has the gift. That’s why it’s important to be prayed for healing by the church leaders as James instructs us.
Yet we can all grow in our faith and gift of healing as we pray for those around us who are sick and need God’s touch. Remember that healing is used by God to cause the lost to turn to the Lord, so it is very important. God’s healing power transforms lives both physically and spiritually.
Respond to God’s Healing with Faith
Acts 9:36–37 (ESV)
Now there was in Joppa a disciple named Tabitha which translated means Dorcas. She was full of good works and acts of charity. In those days she became ill and died and when they had washed her they laid her in an upper room.
We don’t know if Aeneas was a believer or not, but Tabitha was. She served the Lord and others in the church family. However, unexpectedly, she became ill and died from her illness.
This was a shock to the church family but their faith was very strong.
Acts 9:38–39 (ESV)
Since Lydda was near Joppa the disciples hearing that Peter was there sent two men to him urging him “Please come to us without delay.” So Peter rose and went with them. And when he arrived they took him to the upper room. All the widows stood beside him weeping and showing tunics and other garments that Dorcas made while she was with them.
Peter was still at the nearby town of Lydda, so Tabitha’s friends sent messengers to Peter to come to Joppa quickly. Why did they want Peter to come quickly? The only explanation is that they believed that God could use Peter to bring her back to life.
The faith level in these early believers was very high. They remembered what Jesus had done and believed that Jesus could still heal and even raise from the dead. So Peter came to the room where Tabitha’s body was and where everyone was mourning.
Acts 9:40–41 (ESV)
But Peter put them all outside and knelt down and prayed; and turning to the body he said “Tabitha arise.” And she opened her eyes and when she saw Peter she sat up. And he gave her his hand and raised her up. Then calling the saints and widows he presented her alive.
Peter did what Jesus often did; he removed all the mourners from the room. Why? The mourners were not in faith that she could be raised from the dead. After everyone was gone from the room, Peter knelt by her bed and began to pray.
I believe Peter prayed that God would raise her to life and God gave him instructions. After Peter received confirmation that God was going to raise her to life, he gave a simple command. Tabitha arise.
With those two words she came back to life, opened her eyes, and sat up. Peter took her and presented her to the believers alive. In this story, we see the faith of the messengers calling Peter to come quickly and Peter’s faith in prayer giving the command to rise.
In this story, we see how faith grows. The people’s faith grew when they heard the story of paralyzed Aeneas walking and then they had the faith to believe that Tabitha could be raised from the dead. Respond to God’s healing with faith.
Application
How can our faith, how can your faith grow in God’s power to heal? The Bible says that faith comes from hearing God’s Word. The Gospels and the book of Acts are filled with stories of God healing people.
As you read or listen to a message, believe that not only did these events happen, but God can do the same healing today. There are also many books about contemporary healings of all kinds that can also build your faith, but nothing is as important as God’s Word. Then begin to put your faith into action by offering to pray for anyone who is sick or needs some kind of healing.
If you or someone you know of is sick, come forward for prayer in service. Step out in your faith, take action, and you will see God begin to answer your prayers as your faith grows. Respond to God’s healing with faith.
Share the Impact of God’s Healing
Acts 9:42 (ESV)
And it became known throughout all Joppa and many believed in the Lord.
You remember after Aeneas’ healing it said the people in the city turned to the Lord. Here it says the same thing, many believed in the Lord. You see, physical healing is not just about someone getting well and not suffering.
Healing can have a huge impact on many people getting saved after hearing or seeing the healing. Let’s think for a minute about how this happened in both these healing instances. People got saved because others shared the story of these healings with them.
These stories were shared by word of mouth in those days. Sharing the impact of God’s healing power is vitally important.
Acts 9:43 (ESV)
And he stayed in Joppa for many days with one Simon a tanner.
Why did Peter stay in Joppa for a long time? There were many new believers in the city and so he was busy discipling and teaching them. Each new believer needed to be water and Spirit baptized.
Peter was helping the growing church in Joppa build their church family. He was sharing the impact of God’s Healing power.
Application
How can we share the impact of God’s healing power today? We can share the stories of what God is doing in our lives just like the early church believers. We can share the stories of what God has done in our lives and the lives of others in the church family.
We can share them with friends, relatives, and neighbors. In fact, sharing stories of God’s healing power, whether physical, spiritual, or emotional, is one of the best ways to be a witness for Jesus. But we can also share them within our church family.
At Life Church, we call these kind of stories God Stories. They are stories of something that God has done in your life that you thank and give Him the glory. They can be stories of healing or stories of other answers to prayer.
As you share the impact of God’s healing or answers on your life, many other people’s faith can be built and others will turn to the Lord. Share the impact of God’s healing.
Conclusion
It’s important that as we study the stories in the Bible, as we have today, that we understand these are not just historical records. These stories have been recorded by the Holy Spirit to show us what God is like and what He wants to do in our lives in our time in history. God still brings healing into the lives of those who have faith in His healing power.
We must recognize the importance of God’s healing power. God heals not only to relieve suffering but also to reveal His power to people. These accounts we’ve studied today should encourage you to respond to God’s healing with faith.
God desires for us to share the impact of God’s healing with others. No story is too small or too insignificant to share and give God the glory. May each of our faith grow in the healing power of our great God.
