WHAT'S YOUR ISSUE? January 4, 2015 Sermon # 664

WHAT'S YOUR ISSUE?

Introduction: What is an issue? According to the dictionary it is "the sending out or putting forth. It may be a point of discussion or a major problem." May I ask, "What are your issues; what is out of order?"

1. Jealousy

2. Anger

3. Unforgiveness

4. Pride

5. Criticism

6. Prejudice

7. Rebellion

8. Drugs or alcohol

9. Fornication

10. Adultery

11. Pornography

12. Your finances

13. Your health

14. Your mind, emotions

15. Your marriage

It doesn't matter what name you put on it - it's an issue in your life!

John 5:1-15(NKJV)

1After this there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.

2Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, which is called in

Hebrew, £Bethesda, having five porches. 3In these lay a great multitude of sick people, blind, lame, paralyzed, £waiting for the moving of the water. 4For an angel went down at a certain time into the pool and stirred up the water; then whoever stepped in first, after the stirring of the water, was made well of whatever disease he had.

5Now a certain man was there who had an infirmity thirty-eight years. 6When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he already had been in that condition a long time, He said to him, “Do you want to be made well?” 7The sick man answered Him, “Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; but while I am coming, another steps down before me.” 8Jesus said to him, “Rise, take up your bed and walk.” 9And immediately the man was made well, took up his bed, and walked. And that day was the Sabbath. 10The Jews therefore said to him who was cured, “It is the Sabbath; it is not lawful for you to carry your bed.” 11He answered them, “He who made me well said to me, ‘Take up your bed and walk.’” 12Then they asked him, “Who is the Man who said to you, ‘Take up your bed and walk’?”

13But the one who was healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had withdrawn, a multitude being in that place. 14Afterward Jesus found him in the temple, and said to him, “See, you have been made well. Sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon you.” 15The man departed and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him well.

I. DO YOU WANT TO BE MADE WHOLE?

ILL: Why did Jesus ask the question? Because the man was doing nothing to attain wellness.

Luke 8:45-48(NKJV)

43Now a woman, having a flow of blood for twelve years, who had spent all her livelihood on physicians and could not be healed by any, 44came from behind and touched the border of His garment. And immediately her flow of blood stopped. 45And Jesus said, “Who touched Me?” When all denied it, Peter £and those with him said, “Master, the multitudes throng and press You, £and You say, ‘Who touched Me?’” 46But Jesus said, “Somebody touched Me, for I perceived power going out from Me.”

47Now when the woman saw that she was not hidden, she came trembling; and falling down before Him, she declared to Him in the presence of all the people the reason she had touched Him and how she was healed immediately. 48And He said to her, “Daughter, £be of good cheer; your faith has made you well. Go in peace.”

• Was the woman wrong for going to the physicians? No! She was doing something! They were doing all that medical science knew to do at that time. Medical science no longer "bleeds" people but we still do not have cures for many diseases and we are getting more and more each year!

Matthew 24:4-14(NKJV)

4And Jesus answered and said to them: “Take heed that no one deceives you.

5For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many.

6And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for £all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. 7For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, £pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. 8All these are the beginning of sorrows. 9“Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake. 10And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. 11Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. 12And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. 13But he who endures to the end shall be saved. 14And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.

Hebrews 11:6 but without faith it is impossible to please God.

II. THE PRICE FOR ACCESSING THE SUPERNATURAL

Jesus said: Daughter thy faith hath made thee whole, go in peace and be whole of thy plague. Your faith can make you whole today whatever the issue.

All things are possible to him that believeth.

A. THE KINGDOM OF GOD CAN ONLY BE ACCESSED BY FAITH.

Everything you need is in the Kingdom

The kingdom of God is a spiritual reality that is greater, superior to the natural kingdoms of this world, and superior to the kingdom of Satan.

Satan's kingdom is also a spiritual reality that is invisible but very active and very real.

Sickness disease poverty and lack bondage oppression strife envy, murder jealousy, hate abuse, prejudice, lust, perversion. This is all the product and the fruit of Satan's kingdom.

Romans 14:17 the kingdom of God is: righteousness, peace, joy, in the Holy Ghost.

Wherever the kingdom of God comes Satan's Kingdom is overthrown. Satan's kingdom is broken. Yokes are destroyed. The sick are healed. The captives are set free. The blind see. The deaf hear, cripples walk.

The currency of the kingdom is faith.

Matthew 9:28-30 Jesus asked the blind men do you believe that I can do this? they said yes. Then Jesus said: “ according to your faith” be it unto you. And immediately their eyes were opened.

When the woman with the issue of blood came to Jesus she had no money, she had no position, her reputation was that she was unclean, she was a woman with an issue. Her hands were empty, but her heart was full of faith:

If I can but touch the hem of His garment I know I'll be healed. That day she stretched out the hand of faith and she touched the realm of miracles. She heard of Jesus. She came to where Jesus was. She pressed her way through the crowd.

Like this woman: if you want a miracle you have to be willing to press; You have to press past fear and doubt.

You have to press past religion and tradition.

You have to press past failures and pass disappointments.

You have to press past the what ifs and what about so and so's.

III. THE ANSWER TO YOUR ISSUE IS IN JESUS

She stretched out her hand and touched him. That tells me two things

1. Your miracle is within reach

2. You have to stretch for it.

Your issue may be small just a little thing, just a little something out of order.

Or your issue maybe a big thing that is taking over your life destroying your health, destroying your marriage, destroying your ministry.

Your issue may be critical, you may need a miracle.

Whatever the issue or situation or condition is: Jesus is the answer. He wants to heal your everywhere you hurt.

Jesus is alive.

If Jesus is alive and he will do the same things he did before they crucified Him.

Jesus said: I am the resurrection and the life. because I live ye shall live also.

Jesus said: I am come that they might have life and that they might have it more abundantly.

1 John 3:7-11(NKJV)

7Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous. 8He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the

devil. 9Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God.

10In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest: Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother. 11For this is the message that you heard from the beginning, that we should love one another,

Jesus paid in full for your healing, your miracle, your deliverance.

Isaiah 53:5(NKJV)

   The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed.

But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities;

Matthew 8:16-17 Himself took our infirmities and bare our sicknesses.

Galatians 3:13-14

Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law being made a curse for us, for it is written cursed is everyone that hangeth on a tree, That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

Jesus was made sin with our sin and sick with our sickness and our diseases. It doesn't matter to God what your issue is, God is in the miracle business.

God is no respecter of persons.

That means your position or your situation or station in life doesn't matter to God. Rich or poor high or low we are all the same in God's sight.

God is a God of miracles. Miracles are real.

God still does miracles.

All through the Bible we see the miracle working power of God: The dividing of the Red Sea the collapse of the walls of Jericho, Daniel in the Lions Den, the three Hebrew boys walking through the fiery furnace, the multiplication of a widows small pot of oil.

Then the many miracles of Jesus:

He turned water into wine, walked on the water, multiplied the bread and the fishes, he made blind eyes open, cripples walk, restored missing body parts raised Lazarus from the dead. Then in the book of Acts the lame man at the beautiful gate had never walked; healed under Peter and John’s ministry, the sick were healed as Peter’s shadow fell over them.

Under Paul's ministry prayer cloths and aprons were taken from his body and put on the sick and the sick were healed and demons came out of those who were possessed with them.

The point is God is a God of miracles.

Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday today and forever.

Miracles are for today!

A miracle is an event or effect contrary to the established course and constitution of things. It is a deviation, and interruption of the known laws of nature; A supernatural event, or one transcending the ordinary laws by which the universe is governed.

Conclusion:

Jesus says according to your faith be it unto you; thank God it's according to your faith not according to your money not according to your position not according to your religion not according to your knowledge, not according to your tradition, but according to your faith.