R - Rely on God 6 sessions What are you relying on? - Christ ...

17STUDY 4RELYING ON GOD FOR HEALING: GREATER CAPACITY THROUGHHEALING“The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because the Lord hasanointed me to preach good news to the poor. He hassent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaimfreedom for captives and release from darkness forprisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor andthe day vengeance of our God, to comfort all whomourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion- tobestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, theoil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment ofpraise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be calledoaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord.”- Isaiah 61:1-3External forces like storms,insects or diseases canprevent a tree from bearingfruit. A tree relies on agood gardener and naturaldefenses for healing. Unlesstrees heal, they live far belowtheir potential.Jesus quoted this messianic text from Isaiah to clarify His mission (seeLuke 4) in the temple of His home town in Nazareth. Isaiah wrote thisoriginal text to encourage the Jews in ancient Israel (680 BC) who werein exile in Babylon. According to Isaiah, in the future God was going tobring a season of Jubilee when all debts were cancelled, all slaves werefreed and all properties were returned to the original owners. The releasefrom the Babylonian bondage had not brought the fulfillment the peoplehad anticipated, however, as they were still a conquered and oppressedpeople. In Luke 4, Jesus boldly announced that His mission was to bringabout the fulfillment of this messianic promise.A quick review of the gospels reveal that Jesus gave himself to fourprimary things;• Healing (physically, emotionally and spiritually)• Teaching about His identity and the kingdom of God• Confronting the oppressive religious structures of the day• Investing in a small group of followers who He was preparing to carryon His mission after His death.Clearly physical healing had a key role in Jesus’ ministry, and it was akey role in the ministry of early church leaders. The mission of Jesus wasto restore what mankind lost when they sinned in the Garden of Eden,and even though we will not experience the fullness of this restorativework until we get to heaven, the gospel Jesus came to proclaim includedhealing and wholeness. When Jesus’ disciples asked Him to teach themhow to pray, Jesus started His instruction with these words: “Our Fatherwho art in heaven, hallowed by thy name, Thy Kingdom come, your willbe done, on earth as it is in heaven.” Later Jesus instructed His followersto do the works they had seen Him do. We are to continue this kingdomwork in His name.RELIES ON GOD