How Christians Can Solve Their Health Problems | Sermon by Pastor Mark Finley

as many of you know i've been struggling with a   pretty serious illness recently  that i'll need to get treatment for   when as a christian you deal with disease you  begin to raise a lot of questions in your own mind   one of the questions of course is lord why me  why did i get sick i've attempted to follow the   principles of the laws of health another question  that is often raised is if i have enough faith   will god instantly heal me if i'm not instantly  healed does that mean that i lack faith another   question that is raised is what are our lines of  defense when we have a serious health problem and   that's the area that i have really been focusing  on i've come to recognize that sickness or disease   can take place because a variety of reasons  first because of some people's choices   that they have made that have not been positive  health giving choices in their life sometimes   we bring sickness upon ourselves but other times  sickness is a result of the environment we live   in an environment where our air is polluted our  water is polluted our our food is tainted with   the chemicals and so there's the environmental  factors and also there are genetic factors   that lead to disease as well and this all  necessitates of course positive choices my topic   is not how do you prevent disease neither is it  why do some people get sick who apparently follow   the laws of health and others don't but here's  my topic is dealing with disease once you are   sick how do you deal with it what are your  five lines of defense we're going to pray   and then we'll look at the five lines of  defense in dealing with disease let's pray   father in heaven grant to us eyes to see  and ears to hear and hearts to understand   i know that there will be those that will watch  this youtube video who are struggling with some   illness help the things that i say and the  experience that i've gone through to be a   blessing to them i pray in christ's name amen five  lines of defense when you're dealing with disease   here's the first line of defense it is a spiritual  approach to disease it's experience god's presence   the consciousness that god is with us in  every one of life's challenges is life-giving   understanding the presence of god   in every one of life's situations that itself is  healing the sense that we're not alone when we   face disease is therapeutic look at these promises  in the bible matthew chapter 28 and verse 20.   jesus puts it this way last part of the gospel  of matthew last line in the gospel of matthew   last words in the gospel of matthew jesus says  i am with you always even to the end of the age   the consciousness of god's presence when you're  facing disease makes all the difference in the   world hebrews 13 and verse 5 the sense that  when you're sick god has not forsaken you   the sense when you're sick that god is with you  strengthening sustaining encouraging supporting   uplifting hebrews 13 verse 5. the scripture  says let your conduct be without covetousness   and be content with such things as you have now  listen to this for he himself has said i will   never leave you nor forsake you so we may  boldly say the lord is my helper i will not fear   what man can do to me so the lord is my helper  jesus says i will never leave you or forsake you   you may be suffering on a bed of illness your  future may look dark but jesus can light that   future jesus is with you he says i will what  never never never leave you or forsake you   now what is the role of faith in  disease sensing the presence of god   is faith saying i know god's going to heal me well  the truth of the matter is he is going to heal you   sometime he can heal you instantly he can heal you  gradually or he can allow you to rest until the   resurrection but one day you and i will be healed  one day we'll walk streets of gold one day we'll   live in a land where there's no sickness suffering  sorrow heartache or death but what is faith   i've defined faith this way faith is the absolute  confidence that a loving god has our best interest   in view it believes when we cannot see it believes  before we can see it believes beyond what we can   see and it believes before others can see faith  is a relationship of trust in the god who loves   us beyond what we can ever imagine in the god who  cares for us beyond what we can ever understand   and arranges all the affairs of our life for  our good and his glory that's faith faith is   trusting god that he's with you when your eyes  cannot see when your ears cannot hear his voice   but he is there present to uplift sustain and  encourage you c.s lewis nada the great christian   apologist made a remarkable statement when he  said i believe in christianity as i believe   that the son has risen not only because i  see it because by it i see everything else   in other words what he was saying is this that i  believe in christianity just as i believe in the   sun because when the sun shines it illuminates the  darkness and i can see everything else i can see   trees and i can see rocks and i can see flowers  and i see green grass and i see people i see shops   i see everything else clearly because the sun is  shining when the sun of righteousness jesus christ   shines in your life you see everything else  clearly going through sickness your first   line of defense is a sense of god's presence  now this sense of god's presence is healing   it's therapeutic it brings life into the body  researchers at mayo clinic came to this conclusion   most studies have shown and i'm quoting the  researchers there that famed international   health center the mayo clinic in rochester  minnesota most studies have shown that religious   involvement and spirituality are associated with  better health outcomes including greater longevity   coping skills and health related quality of life  even during terminal illness and less anxiety   depression and suicide several studies have shown  that addressing the spiritual needs of the patient   may enhance the recovery from illness  so as you sense the presence of god   in whatever you are going through that  very conscious awareness of god's presence   brings life health and healing to the body so the  first line of defense in dealing with disease is   the conscious awareness of god's presence of  trusting that your life is in his hands and   that he'll do nothing to harm you that he'll do  nothing at all to to keep you from enjoying life   in all of its abundance that he is there by your  side to strengthen and encourage you now here's   the second line of defense it's understanding  one of three provisions that god has made you   and we're going to look at each of these three but  the second line of defense is understanding the   first of the three provisions that god has given  to us when we are sick it is understanding how   to build our immune system to face the illness we  see this in the bible in second kings chapter five   second kings five reveals the story of  naaman naaman was a syrian military captain   who developed leprosy and there  in his household was a little maid   who shared with him the story of the prophet  elisha naaman went to elisha for healing   at the encouragement of this little maid who said  if you were in my country with the prophet elisha   i know you could be healed so naaman went  elisha said to naaman go wash in the river   seven times naaman responded look i got rivers  in my own country i don't need to go to your   river to wash naaman's servant was a very wise man  he said look if the prophet would have told you to   do some hard thing you would have done it now go  washing the river jordan naaman went and washed in   the river jordan one two three four five six and  seventh time his leprosy is healed he's thrilled   why do you think god had elisha tell naaman to  go wash in the river jordan because naaman must   cooperate with god in the process of that healing  now this is not unusual you look at jesus in the   new testament john chapter 9 and here in john  chapter 9 we find again the story of a healing it is the story of a blind man you remember  the disciples said who did sin this man or   his relatives his parents that he was born blind  and jesus heals this blind man but how does jesus   heal him john chapter 9 verse 6 and 7 when he had  said these things he spat on the ground and made   clay with the saliva he anointed the eyes of the  blind man with clay and he said to him go wash   in the pool of siloam now there are two there  is a similarity two basic similarities in both   of those stories first is very simple natural  means were used to produce the healing second   principle in the story is that the individual both  naaman and the blind man had to cooperate with god   here is the second line of defense again when we  deal with disease we ask ourselves what can i do   to cooperate with god in harmony with the laws  of nature to build my immune system so that i   can fight the disease i'm dealing with in the book  ministry of healing page 232 i read this statement   those who seek healing by prayer should not  neglect to make use of the remedial agencies   within their reach so this one of the spiritual  defenses is recognizing the presence of god   seeking god in prayer by faith believing god is  with me and he can produce healing in my body   a second line of defense is cooperating with  god in doing everything i know to live in   harmony with the laws of health i continue it  is not a denial of faith to use such remedies   as god has provided to alleviate pain and  to aid nature in her work of restoration   it is no denial of faith to cooperate with  god and to place themselves in the condition   most favorable to recovery god has put it in our  power to obtain a knowledge of the laws of life   this knowledge has been placed within our reach  for use we should employ every facility for the   restoration of health taking every advantage  possible working in harmony with natural laws   now notice this statement it's a very powerful  statement it is not a denial of faith to cooperate   with god to work in harmony with god so when you  deal with disease you want to raise some questions   is there anything in my life that i'm doing that  is tearing down this physical body of mine making   it less possible for god to work a miracle because  my choices are not in harmony with his will what   can i do to cooperate with god in building the  immune system or boosting the immune system or as   some say optimizing optimizing the immune system  in the harvard health newsletter i picked up this   gem recently from harvard university called  healthy ways to strengthen your immune system   and then they say your first line of defense is to  choose a healthy lifestyle following good general   health guidelines is the single best step you can  take toward naturally keeping your immune system   working properly every part of your body including  your immune system functions better when protected   from environmental assaults and bolstered by  health give giving life-giving strategies then   it lists a number of things you can do here are  some practical things you can do to optimize your   immune system and to cooperate with god in healing  when you're dealing with disease so this is what   harvard university says let me just read it to  you from the harvard newsletter it says this   number one don't smoke in other words if you're  smoking give up smoking because that's destroying   the body it is an unhealthful practice that makes  it less capable for the body to to have a strong   immune system to overcome disease number two  this is harvard university now eat a diet high   in fruits and vegetables number three exercise  regularly number four maintain a healthy weight   if you drink alcohol drink only in moderation i  would say don't drink at all get adequate sleep   take steps to avoid infection such as washing your  hands frequently and cooking meats thoroughly try   to minimize stress and then it says keep current  with all recommended vaccines in other words   you want to optimize your immune system you want  to do everything possible everything possible   to cooperate with god so how do you deal  with disease first you trust god first   you take a spiritual approach and know that god  is with you you seek him in prayer you place your   life in his hands you receive new energy from  the presence of god secondly you do everything   possible to cooperate with god by giving up  any habits that are detrimental to your health   if you're eating a high fat diet you want to shift  that diet to fruits nuts grains and vegetables if   you haven't been getting exercise you want to get  out there and start walking head a wreck shoulder   back deep breaths you want to get adequate amounts  of water if you've been smoking or drinking   alcohol you want to say lord give me the strength  to give those up i want to optimize my immune   system if you've lived a stress-filled life with  little rest or sleep you want to optimize your   immune system by getting adequate rest and  sleep now here's your third line of defense   it's the second one of god's provisions that he  has given you recognize that god is the author of   science and that while you are trusting god while  you're attempting to optimize your immune system   you explore every possible solution  in medical science possible   god is the fountain of all wisdom god is the  source of all true knowledge science rightly   understood is one of god's healing agencies to  reduce suffering and alleviate disease you know   the word science comes from one of the root words  is skill which means to know it's it's knowledge   so all knowledge comes from all true knowledge  comes from god and the study of anatomy and   physiology the study of the causes prevention  and treatment of disease is a god-given science   of everything god has created the human body is  the most marvelous it's the most fantastic it's an   infinite engineering intelligence and although  god is the ultimate healer he uses a variety   of ways to heal and one of those is 21st century  modern medicine now wise men and women do not deny   that god's the author of knowledge proverbs  15 verse 14. so it is god that has given   godly physicians the knowledge of how to deal  with disease all true science comes from god   proverbs 15 verse 14 the heart of him who  has understanding seeks knowledge so the   heart of him who has understanding seeks  knowledge look at proverbs 18 verse 15. the heart of the prudent acquires knowledge the  ear of the wise seeks knowledge so medical science   has its basis in knowledge or wisdom  that comes from god and so it's no desire   no denial of faith to go to a  physician it's no denial of faith   to seek the best possible known medical  treatment it's no denial of faith to explore   science because all true science all true  knowledge all true wisdom comes from god   luke was a skilled medical missionary physician  who was a companion of the apostle paul and used   his medical knowledge in soul winning there is  a marvelous statement in the book ministry of   healing page 141 about luke that i think is  really insightful let me give you a little   background luke as a medical missionary physician  incidentally who wrote more in the new testament   than anybody else well if you look at the books of  the new testament you'd say it's the apostle paul   but if you look at the words it's luke because  the words in the book of acts and the words in   the gospel of luke and acts of course was written  by luke if you combine those two together luke a   doctor physician medical practitioner wrote more  in the new testament than any other single writer   luke accompanied paul on his missionary  journeys and he accompanied him to philippi   philippi was an amazing city about seven miles  from neopolis modern-day kavala and it was a   tremendous city because it was not far from  the sea the sea breezes blew in it was at the   end of the ignatian way the ignatian way led from  philippi to rome and uh it was at the base of the   pagonian hills a city of five six seven thousand  in the pagodian hills they found gold so it was   a very wealthy city many roman soldiers retired  there so it was a wealthy retirement community   and it had a very aggressive trade so the wagons  and the carts brought goods from rome to philippi   ships came into the harbor there and these ships  brought spices and they brought silks and carpets   and they brought food and exotic foods from all  over the world so philippi was a very well to do   city it had a very active bustling marketplace and  paul attempted to start a christian church there   he went out and preached to lydia by the  riverside and as paul preached to lydia   she accepted the gospel very wealthy woman  she was a seller of purple as purple is a dye   made from a shell called a mollusk and even the  archaeologists have found piles of those shells   along the seashore and so she made this purple  dye and togas or the garments of the romans were   dipped in this dye and oh they were  crazy about the fad of purple togas and   the women loved that as a fashion and so  lydia was a sharp businesswoman she sold her   dies there and made the garments and she was a  convert to paul and began a small church in her   house paul also was led by the holy spirit to  convert a slave girl likely from africa and she   joined that little church and also a roman civil  servant you remember paul was imprisoned there   in philippi and as he was imprisoned he prayed  and praised you want a miracle you you pray you   praise and you have faith and god works miracle  prayer and praise and faith are the ingredients   for which miracles take place the prison fell  down paul then led the roman jailer to conversion   and so imagine here's lydia's house it's a little  church there and in that church there's lydia this   asian businesswoman wealthy there's a little  african slave girl there's a roman civil servant   that's there at the jailer at after paul's   impact on that roman jailer paul was  persecuted in that city and had to leave   but luke stayed behind this doctor and i  want to read to you from ministry of healing   about this dr luke it says luke the writer of  the gospel that bears his name was a medical   missionary in scriptures he's called the  beloved physician so here's a physician   that's beloved oh it's a wonderful thing  to find a brilliant scientific modern   physician who is a christian committed to jesus  but who's brilliant and has scientific background   the apostle paul heard of his skill that's luke  skill as a physician and sought him out as one   to whom the lord had entrusted a special  work he secured his cooperation for some   time luke accompanied him in his travels from  place to place after a time paul left luke at   philippi in macedonia here luke continued his  labor for several years both as a physician   and teacher of the gospel in his work  as a physician he ministered to the sick   prayed for their healing the healing power of god  to rest upon the afflicted ones thus the way was   opened for the gospel message lew's success as  a physician gained for him many opportunities   for preaching christ among the heathen it is  the divine plan that we work as the disciples   work physical healing is bound up with the gospel  commission in the work of the gospel teaching and   healing are never to be separated so here we find  an example in the bible of a godly physician who   ministered to the physical needs of people using  medical knowledge you were using his scientific   expertise and as he did that their hearts were  open to the gospel and he shared christ with them   then what is a line of defense for you for me  when we have sickness first line of defense   is a spiritual line prayer faith the presence  of god that's healing second line of defense   optimize your immune system do everything you  can with nature's remedies to cooperate with god   third line of defense and in that is explore  medical options explore every possible   scientific remedy look at the best doctors you  can find and if you can find a christian doctor   who's a praying godly christian doctor find  that christian doctor and do everything you   can from a medical standpoint in the remedies  in medicine to find healing for that disease   fourth line of defense in seal in dealing  with disease and this is understanding   god's provisions again god provides for  us natural remedies god provides for us   scientific knowledge in medicine god also provides  for us family friends and the church for support   this is a line of defense when you're sick a line  of defense when you're dealing with disease there   was a 10-year study at the university of flinders  in australia and they found that those who had   strong social support that is strong friends live  22 longer than those who had no friends at all   researchers at ohio state university and carnegie  mellon university have shown that people who have   meaningful personal relationships have stronger  immune systems more robust health and reduced   infectious diseases so when you are dealing with  disease draw support from people around you draw   support from your family from a husband wife  children aunts uncles cousins draw support from   your friends it's that support that will help to  buoy you up it's that support that will help to   give you a positive attitude it's that support  that will strengthen your immune system in fact   this is biblical look at ecclesiastes chapter  four we're looking at the book of ecclesiastes   the fourth chapter and the twelfth verse here's  what scripture says in ecclesiastes 4 verse 12   though one may be overpowered in other words one  individual alone can be overpowered by disease   one individual alone can be overpowered by illness  one individual alone gets discouraged in sickness   though one be overpowered by  another two can withstand him   and a threefold cord is not quickly broken  a threefold cord god you and friends and   family that's not easily broken you can't break  that cord so look for your friends for support   proverbs chapter 12 verse 18 how do you deal  with disease here is the fourth way you deal with   disease proverbs chapter 12 verse 18. there is one  who speaks like the piercings of a sword i don't   want to speak like a piercing of a sword do you  i don't want my words to cut somebody else's life   but the tongue of the wise promotes health oh  that's great the tongue of the wise promotes   health as you get friends around you that are  positive that are encouraging what is that going   to do you listen to their words it's going to  promote health that's going to produce positive   chemical endorphins in your body you remember what  galatians says in chapter 6 verse 2 bear you one   another's burdens we draw on our friends when  we're ill to help to bear our burdens at times   to do those practical things that we cannot do a  university of california study at berkeley in 2002   that reason it was a 31-year study of 6500 adults  you know when i look at a study this is what i   want to know three things one who did the study  you know if you read some advertisement for some   exotic uh plant that's gonna heal you and then  they're selling the plants you know or some exotic   uh exotic drug that's gonna heal you some exotic  vitamin that's gonna heal you and the ad is done   by the or the study is done by the vitamin  company or the drug company you've a little   weary of that you know so you want to who did  the study was it a reputable medical university   second how long was the study done for if a study  is done for six months it doesn't have much value   or how long was it done for and how many people  did they study they study five people that you're   going to be you've got to question that study so  here is a study 31 years university of california   on 6 500 people and this is what they discovered  p and i'm quoting people who attend religious   services have significantly lower risks of death  compared with those who never attend or attend   less frequently even if you would judge for  age health behaviors and other risk factors   the average life expectancy of people that did  not attend church in the study was 75 years   those people that attended less than once weekly  but attended church 79 years and the people that   attended church weekly or more 82 years now why  is that true why do people who attend church   live on an average seven years longer when you  factor out other things like smoking drinking etc   why do they live those seven years longer  i saw something the other day that i didn't   hadn't quite seen before in hebrews chapter 10 as  i was studying hebrews 10 verse 23 to 25. you know   hebrews 10 is the passage that says don't forsake  your s assembling yourselves together but look at   the text it's very interesting hebrews 10 verse  23 let us hold fast the confession of our hope   without wavering for he who promised is faithful  let us consider one another in order to stir up   love and good works not forsaking the assembling  of ourselves together as the manner of some is but   encouraging one another even more as you see the  day approaching so one of the values of church   is that you come to church there are other friends  that surround you they encourage you they inspire   you they speak positive words they say my brother  my sister i'm praying for you and you know that   encourages the heart four lines of defense so far  against disease number one the spiritual approach   number one sensing the presence of god number one  seeking him in prayer number one extending the   hand of faith higher and higher and higher and  believing that he'll never leave you that he'll   never forsake you that healing power is in christ  number two optimizing the immune system when we   deal with disease we do everything we know to  build these bodies of ours to fight that disease   with a good diet with adequate rest with drinking  water with adequate exercise number three we   explore every possibility in medical science as we  deal with disease and we look for godly christian   physicians if possible but but we recognize  that all knowledge comes from god and that all   scientific knowledge that is true and genuine  comes from the almighty god that god blesses   science and we appreciate that and we explore  every possible area that will bring healing to   our bodies number four we draw strength from our  friends we draw comfort and encouragement from   those that are around us now number five we claim  god's promises and maintain a positive attitude   you see you can do the first four things but  if you keep talking to yourself in your head   saying this sickness is going to get the best  of me i'm going to probably die of this and   i can't do anything anymore once you allow  that negative attitude to come in it breaks   down the immune system now one author said this  attitude is comprised of our internal dialogue   that we have with ourselves and our reactions  the outside world researchers who are continuing   to study the relationship between medical and  physical well-being are discovering compelling   evidence that a positive attitude has a beneficial  effect on our well-being and health here are just   a few of the more recent discoveries regarding  a positive attitude those who have a positive   attitude have a longer lifespan those that have a  positive attitude have lower rates of depression   those who have a positive attitude have less  susceptibility to airborne diseases such as coals   those that have a positive attitude have a reduced  risk from cardiovascular disease now this is   biblical remember what the bible says it says  in proverbs 17 verse 32 a merry heart does good   like a medicine a merry heart is what it does  good like a medicine proverbs 15 13 a joyful   heart makes a cheerful countenance but sorrow of  heart crushes the spirit so a merry heart does   good like a medicine but a sorrowful heart crushes  the spirit lets off negative chemical endorphins   happy people tend to live longer than their  peers according to 160 studies university   of illinois professor ed diner concluded that and  i'm reading his conclusion from these 160 studies   he said the general conclusion of each type of  study is that your subjective well-being that is   feeling positive about your life not stressed out  not distressed contributes to better longevity   and better health among healthy populations what's  he talking about positive attitude brings greater   health ellen white ministry of healing 241 put it  this way grief anxiety discontent remorse guilt   distrust all tend to break down life's forces  and invite decay and death when you are dealing   with disease maintaining a positive attitude is  critical not long ago i read the story of a boy   who was in a car accident was burned taken to  the hospital his prospects were not very good   his immune system was broken down a disease  began to set in and he lay for a number of days   in the hospital in that city the school system  employed tutors that would go to the hospital   or visit the home of children that were  sick so they wouldn't get behind in school   and so the school system commissioned a tutor to  go to this boy's room she entered the room and   the boy was lying in his bed discouraged depressed  felt that his life was about over and she said i'm   the tutor here from the school and i've come to  help you with your studies he had little interest   and she began to review his math regard bega and  then she reviewed a little bit about his geography   or other subjects and she left the room feeling  quite discouraged herself she said this boy had   very little interest in studying i don't know if  it's worth it for me to go back or not but i'll   try one more week the next week she came back and  before she went into the room the nurses came out   and two or three nurses surrounded her and  her heart kind of dropped she wondered had   the boy died she wondered what she might have  done something wrong the week before that   they might not let her back in the room and  the nurses said what did you do to that boy   ever since your visit his eyes have  sparkled he's begun to improve we've   noticed mark improvements what did  you do and she said i did nothing i   just came and i i didn't quite feel that this was  a success they said whatever you did do it again   the boy was asked why is it that you  began to improve and this is what the boy   said later he said i began to think about it  and i thought about it all week and i thought   they would not send a teacher to a boy that  was going to die so i'm not going to die   i'm going to live that attitude change made all  the difference in his life if you are facing some   disease if you are having to deal with some  disease or you know somebody that is give them   these five lines of defense number one lead them  to trust god trust god yourself he is present with   you he'll never leave you or forsake you explore  every possible natural remedy that you can find   explore every reasonable remedy that makes sense  that's backed up by science not every quack cure   that somebody wants to give you but basically  remedies of god a good diet sleep rest exercise explore every possible scientific  way ask questions visit your doctor   look for the best specialist possible as you deal  with your disease recognize that this is not a   lack of faith that god anoints science and blesses  the mind to explore the depths of science draw   strength from your friends that's health giving  and maintain a positive mental attitude and know   that god's going to do exceedingly abundantly what  you could ask or think there are times that god   cures disease immediately there are times that god  cures it naturally through those natural remedies   that we can use there are times that god uses  science and physicians but god is the great healer   whether it's instant or whether it's through  natural means or whether it's through science   whether god brings health to our  bodies to the encouragement of friends   all of this is god's activity when you  deal with disease trust god trust god   trust god and follow these principles and  you will find yourself drawn closer to god   rather than drawn further away  from him you'll find that disease   is not something that separates you from god  but it can be a doorway to deeper faith greater   courage to see the hand of god working miracles  in your life let's pray father in heaven thank you   that you have given us these lines of defense  help us to explore every one of them and know   that the disease that we face needs  not to put barriers between us and you   but it can be your means of drawing  us closer to you in christ's name amen

Channel: HopeLives365

Views: 83,724

Keywords: Seventh-day Adventist, Seventh day Adventist, SDA, Adventist, Adventists, Mark Finley, HopeLives365, Hope Lives 365, health, disease, christians, heal, health problems

Id: iR3Z2NNzmL4

Length: 40min 39sec (2439 seconds)

Published: Fri May 28 2021