Print"THE MOTIVATION FACTOR" STUDY NO. 5
READING: LUKE 10/25-37
INTRODUCTION:
A good starting point for this study might be this question, "If something like 20% of the gospel narrative is taken up with Jesus' healing and deliverance ministry, how come we hear and see so little of that ministry in His Body, the Church, today?" Our study this time requires some honest, open-hearted responses as we try to identify the motivation that drives of a healing/wholeness ministry in a local Church congregation.
INTERACTION (1)
1. List some of the reasons that might be given for a local Church NOT to engage in a "healing ministry".
a) _______________________________________________________________
b) _______________________________________________________________
c) ________________________________________________________________
2. Now list some reasons that might be given for a church to seriously consider embracing such a ministry.
a) _______________________________________________________________
b) _______________________________________________________________
c) ________________________________________________________________
CONSIDER THESE SCRIPTURES
Let's now identify four factors or reasons from Jesus' healing and deliverance ministry that motivated Him. We also note some other factors from the ministry of the Apostles in Acts.
a. The Release Factor i.e. release & relief for people in distress. It seems Jesus could not just stand idly by and do nothing in the face of human suffering especially when He recognised the direct activity of Satan. Read Luke 13/10-17. Note V.16 " isn't it right that she be released even on the Sabbath?" This was Jesus doing what He had come to do Read 1 John 3/8.
b. The Compassion Factor this was the kind of compassion that motivated the Good Samaritan. Read Luke 10/33. Read Matt.20/29-34 Mark 1/40-42; Luke 7/11-15. Tragically, some of the more high profile healing ministries seem to show little evidence of true compassion in the outworking of that ministry.
c. The Evangelism Factor - on occasions, healings opened opportunities for evangelism. Some examples of this are found in Acts 3; Acts 4:29,30; Acts 5/12-16; Acts 8/4-8; Acts 9/32-34. This is not to suggest that the miraculous intervention of God in healing will necessarily convince people of the gospel message and lead them to repentance and faith. The above examples need to be put alongside such passages as John 12/37. Nonetheless, there will be times when healing leads to an openness that was not there before the healing event.
d.The Glory Factor - where God is honoured and glorified in the healing event (Mark 2/1-12; Luke 7/11-16).The glory of God was always close to the heart of Jesus. Read John 17/1-5.
INTERACTION (2)
Check the following verses and write down in your own words which of the above factors or dynamics are operative in each scenario
a) Acts 3/6,7
b) Matthew 20/34
c) Acts 9/35,42
d) John 11/4
Consider the following statement: "If people were being physically and obviously healed in our church services, other people would come from everywhere and all of them would become Christians because of the proof of God's power."
a) Do you agree or disagree? Why?
b) What do the following verses contribute to your discussion? John 2/23-25 John 4/46-48 John 12/37
Which of the following statements most adequately represent your convictions about a healing ministry in a local church?
a) "The risks involving failure, misunderstanding and division are too great. We ought to leave this aspect of ministry alone."
b) "We must get involved in this with all our hearts.We have held back for too long. It's time to take risks and launch out into the deep regardless of the dangers."
c) "I believe there is a valid need for us to grow into a ministry like this but we must so slowly and only if we are convinced that God is leading us.That conviction must be unanimous."
d) (Other)
Is there anything in this study that is a 'first-time thought' for you? What aspect, if any, confronts you or challenges what you have believed about healing and wholeness? Is there anything that you need to actually DO now as a result of this or previous studies in this series?
