Teach Us To Pray - Healing Prayer with Nate Head

Hey, I'm Pastor Forrest, and welcome to the Multiply Church Podcast.

Each week we open God's word together to help you meet God and multiply good in your everyday life.

We're so glad that you've taken time to join us for this week's sermon.

And if you haven't already, be sure to subscribe and follow us on social media so you never miss a message.

Now, let's dive into this week's sermon.

I want to say good morning.

My name is Nathan.

I go by Nate.

I've been introducing myself as Nathan for like 40 plus years now, and I can't break the habit.

But everybody calls me Nate, and glad to be with you guys.

And if you've been to the family reunion and like you meet that like uncle that you haven't seen in a long time, and he's like, look at you, you're so growing up.

I'm that uncle.

I had the blessing of hopefully I'm not crazy, but I've had the blessing of knowing Forrest and Emily since before Multiply was ever a church.

It was just a dream that God had given something placed on their heart.

And now look at you, here you are with like people and stories and life change.

And I am so pumped to be here.

Uh, I think it's my third time getting to preach.

I've visited more often than that, but thanks for having me back.

And we're gonna be in the book of Matthew.

So if you have your Bible open up, we're gonna be Matthew chapter eight.

I'm gonna look at verses five through 13 kind of as we get started today.

And to get our minds around what this text will kind of present to us, I want to paint a little bit of a picture.

So go with me in your mind, if you will.

Imagine that we here in the Commonwealth have been invaded by some nasty neighbors to our north, all right?

These people are powerful, they're ferocious, they're arrogant, they are no good, very bad, rotten people.

No, I'm not talking about Canadians, all right?

I'm talking about Ohio State fans, all right?

They have come in, they have taken over, and they're arrogant and boastful, and they're just the worst, and they come down here with their scarlet and gray, and we know scarlet is just a pretentious way to say red, right?

All right, and so they're here and they're in charge.

And the let us keep like some UK stuff around and some U of L stuff around, but there's like the American flag, the Ohio State flag, and the Kentucky flag, all right?

And so they have taken over, and we kind of get them.

We, you know, we we mock them behind their backs, right?

Have you seen their football helmets?

They have those little stickers all over the back of them.

That's from like peewee football.

I mean, for making a tackle or a catch, all right?

But they're here, they're in charge, and it's absolutely the worst.

So if you can imagine what that would be like, you can put yourself in the perspective of the first century Jews living in Capernaum in the first century when Jesus was there.

And so I'm gonna read our story, and it begins this way Acts chapter 8, verses 5 and 6.

Acts 8:5

When he, Jesus, had entered Capernaum, a centurion came forward to him, appealing to him.

And he says, My Lord, my servant is lying paralyzed at home and suffering terribly.

So Jesus has been uh introduced to a centurion.

A centurion is just a Roman soldier, young guy, probably really good at what he's done.

He's over a hundred other soldiers, and he's out here at this Roman out uh post.

And Capernaum is actually a beach town.

So Jesus has moved his headquarters from his hometown of Nazareth to the town of Capernaum.

Now, this is a really good move, in my opinion, because I love the beach, right?

Anybody else with me?

You guys like the beach?

All right, here's the deal.

When I get to heaven someday, I am moving to the beach.

Here's some inside baseball about the way heaven will work new heavens, new earth.

All right.

Now, if we think about uh work, it actually in our minds is maybe part of the curse, but work existed before the fall in the garden.

So in heaven, we're gonna do two things primarily.

We're going to worship and we're going to work.

But it'll be like the best parts of work, like the satisfaction of a job well done, the enjoying side of work.

So I'm going to move to the beach and I'm going to be the activities director in heaven.

So when you get there, come with me.

We're going to party at the beach.

It will be awesome.

Anybody up for that?

All right.

So Jesus moved his headquarters to Capernaum, maybe because there was a beach there, but mostly because for his Jewish audience that was paying attention when they heard Matthew tell this story through his gospel, they'd start to connect some dots.

Way back in the book of Isaiah, it was prophesied that a great light for all people living in darkness would be in Capernaum.

And that's Jesus.

So in Capernaum, there was this Roman soldier, and he's in charge of their occupied territory.

And we find out from the gospel writer's Luke, there's a parallel account in Luke of this story, that this guy was a really good dude.

He had a great reputation.

He'd even use some of his own resources to help build a temple so the Jewish people could worship God indoors.

It'd be like if our, you know, Ohio State oppressor guy helped us build a new stadium at the UK.

That'd be great.

So, this centurion, he's got a problem he can't solve.

He's got a servant that's part of his household who is lying at home paralyzed, essentially on his deathbed.

Now, a household back then wasn't entirely biological.

It would have included all the servants and people that kind of helped support this soldier and most likely the guys that he was there that were under his leadership.

They didn't have urgent care back then, and all the over-the-counter medicines that they had tried weren't doing anything to help this young servant.

And so the soldier, we find out from the Gospel of Luke's account that this servant is likely kind of like a younger sibling to him, a younger brother, maybe even felt like a son.

So, verse 7, our story continues.

Jesus says this, real simple here.

And he said to him, I will come and heal him.

And so it's subtle.

Jesus is going to heal him.

Now, if you think back to Matthew chapter 4, when Jesus first moves to Capernaum, he heals a whole bunch of people.

Matthew 4 · chapter mention

So it's highly likely that this soldier has at least heard about Jesus' power and ability to heal.

But it's possible that he's even seen this take place.

And so the centurion comes to Jesus asking him for help.

Our story continues in verse 8.

But the centurion replied, Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof, but only say the word, and my servant will be healed.

For I too am a man under authority, with soldiers unto me.

And I say to one, go, and he goes, and to another, come, and he comes, and to my servant, do this, and he does it.

Notice with me how this soldier approaches Jesus, right?

I mean, as a general rule, Romans didn't think much of the Jewish people.

I mean, they were the strongest standing army at the time.

Their empire was vast.

They considered their king like an actual god.

The Jewish people had none of that.

They had no standing army.

They were in no real way a threat to Rome.

This soldier was here just making sure the taxes were paid and that things didn't get out of control.

But this military commander, picture one of our brave U.S.

soldiers, maybe a Chris Pratt-looking guy, helmet on his head, Kevlar vest, Oakley's six foot four, in shape, 225.

He has all the power and military might in the area, but he approaches this diminutive rabbi humbly, asking for his attention and his help.

And I think actually more remarkable than his humility is his matter-of-fact understanding of Jesus' authority.

He explains it like this.

I know how authority works.

I say to this soldier, go, and he goes, and this one come back to me, and he comes back to me, and I carry, I give orders, and they get carried out.

Verse 10 will continue now in our story.

When Jesus heard this, he marveled and said to those who followed him, Truly I tell you, with no one in Israel have I found such great faith.

This is like a record scratch moment in the Bible.

Like this is the double take.

Like, did Jesus just say what I think he said?

So Jesus is over 30 years old.

He he knows Israel so well.

It's the people he came through which to help save these people and the world.

And he said, I haven't found faith like this in all of Israel.

So in order for us to get our minds what it looks like around what it's looked like to marvel, I want to show you guys this video real quick.

So that look on Simon's face in the audience, when that voice comes out of that woman, is what it looks like to marvel.

And Jesus stops in his tracks and he says, such a profound thing.

Truly I tell you, with no one in Israel have I found such faith.

Jesus explains that this outsider has a perspective that the insider should have, but don't.

Our story continues, verses 11 and 12.

Jesus goes on, very next breath, he says, This I tell you, many will come from east and west and recline at table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven, while the sons of the kingdom will be thrown into outer darkness.

In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

So we go from the Susan Boyle moment to this warning about getting thrown out where there'll be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

I kind of wonder if the disciples were like, is Jesus hangry?

Like, do we need to get him as Snickers?

Like, what just happened?

We kind of went there really quickly.

Jesus isn't hangry, he's not frustrated.

He's actually trying to communicate a very real and important warning.

Have you ever seen those movies where there's like these entitled adult children and they're wealthy and they're just waiting for the rich parents to die?

And like finally the last one dies, and so they come in, the will's gonna be read by the lawyer, and they're ready to figure out if they get, you know, the the uh the house or the car collection, and the lawyer reads it, and all of a sudden they find out at the end of the will that they're not getting anything, that it's will, the estate is going to someone else outside the family entirely.

That's what Jesus is communicating.

He says, Among my very own people, they assume because they are God's chosen people that they're in, that this thing is like a birthright kind of thing, but it isn't.

You see, this God thing is not an inheritance, and praise God for that pack.

Because if it were, there'd be about none of us in this room that would have a saving relationship with God if that's what was required.

Right there on the spot, Jesus tells those who would listen that the connection to him and his father is based on faith and faith alone.

You see, it doesn't matter if your mom went to church, your grandfather's a preacher, or your entire family is religious.

The only thing that matters is your faith in Jesus to save your soul now and for eternity.

And today, if you aren't sure if you're going to heaven, we can help you.

You see, the only way to heaven is through Jesus, and the offer is on the table for everyone.

You don't have to wonder or fear or try to calculate if you've done more good things than bad things, and just hope that God grades on a curve.

As sure as we're standing in this room right now, breathing air, one day we will stand before God in judgment.

And the only thing that will matter is if we put our faith in Jesus Christ as the Son of God and Savior of the world.

Let's finish our story, verse 13.

It goes on like this.

And to the centurion, Jesus said, Go, let it be done for you as you have believed.

And the servant was healed at that very moment.

So we spent a lot of time talking about the centurion and his unbelievable understanding of Jesus' authority and power.

And we should, because that's really the moment that Matthew draws our attention to.

But we won't miss this.

King Jesus has all authority and power and can heal any disease and sickness with a word.

Friends, let me be clear.

Jesus has all authority and power.

He is king, he is supreme over all.

He has no rival, he has no equal.

In him and through him all things were created, and all things hold together.

He reigns supreme, sitting at the right hand of God, and he's waiting to return.

And when he comes, the enemy Satan will finally be defeated, and God will call home his followers for all time who have confessed Christ as Lord and Savior.

Death, disease, and sickness will be no more.

I love the worship song authority.

It has these lines that says, One word from you, things change on your authority.

This story communicates a lot of things.

One thing is clear Jesus has the authority and power to bring healing to anyone at any time and at any place.

And while this is true, and man, it inspires a lot of awe, it's maybe not the most important true thing to know.

As verses 11 and 12 tell us, that there is a coming kingdom of heaven.

Some will be in and some will be out.

In another miracle story found in the very next chapter, Matthew chapter 9, it tells us by recording Jesus' very own words that he not only has the power to heal, but he has the power to forgive sins.

Matthew 9 · chapter mention

Beyond this, the Bible goes on to explain that Jesus has the power to make dead men alive.

And not just a physical resurrection miracle like he performed with his friend Lazarus, but a spiritual resurrection miracle.

You see, Jesus, he didn't come to make bad men good, he came to make dead men alive.

Think about this warning that Jesus gives.

He tells people in Matthew chapter 10 to worry less about their physical bodies than their spiritual bodies.

Matthew 10 · chapter mention

He says these words, and do not fear those who kill the body, but cannot kill the soul.

Rather fear him who can destroy both the soul and body in hell.

Because of our sin, we should fear God.

But because of Jesus, we can have forgiveness of our sins and the promise of eternal life in heaven.

Which brings me to a tension that this text leaves us with.

Why is it that the Bible records many, many healing miracles and seems to point out that if we believe, we can be healed?

But then for a lot of us in this room, that prayer hasn't been answered or it appears to be ignored.

I don't know about you guys, but I have a list of things that annoy me.

All right.

And tort or maybe at the top of that list are bad drivers.

Anybody else with me?

Like people don't use their turn signal.

You just have to kind of guess what's happening around them on the road.

And the worst of that list, I think, are people who drive slow in the fast lane.

Anyone else?

Makes me crazy.

I'm sure there is actual severe eternal punishment for these people.

If that's one of you, please repent now.

All right.

On the list is also trips to the VM DMV, dealings with the IRS, and then being on hold, right?

It's like your lunch break.

The only time you have to call this company that has terrible hours, you're on hold for 40 minutes listening to that song play over and over again.

And then finally, like in actual human answers, and you're like, I can figure this out.

Two minutes into that phone call, there's a disconnection.

I have lost my mind.

I have said things that the preacher up here shouldn't say in those moments.

I don't know if anybody else is with me.

But have you ever felt like God has you on hold?

Like you've been praying for him or for her for days, weeks, and months, and you're just getting no answer.

Or you face the loss of a job and the bills are piling up, and you're like, anything, God?

Or you're in a painful marriage, it's hanging on by a thread, or there is an illness you or a loved one is enduring, and there seems to be no end or cure in sight.

For me, this is my mom with Parkinson's.

This otherwise healthy woman who served God and his and his church for her entire adult life, was widowed 13 years ago, and now barely gets around her house, essentially confined to a wheelchair.

She's trapped in her broken body, and she begs God every day to be healed and restored to life.

There is nothing that has crushed me more than watching her suffer under this disease.

Her tears for help and relief, they seem to just echo into a silent void, and her faith is being tested just about every waking moment of every single day.

You see, the story we looked at has a happy ending, right?

The centurion gets what he wants from God, his servant is healed, and there are a lot of stories like that in the Bible.

And then to make matters worse, a lot of us have heard people and preachers tell us that if we just have enough faith, God will do what we want in prayer.

So we start to wonder what's wrong with us or what's wrong with God.

That the very thing we need, the selfless prayer of healing that we have prayed for ourselves or on behalf of others, seemingly goes ignored.

Well, friends, I don't know everything about healing and faith and God.

But today I want to tell you a couple things that are absolutely true as we consider God's ability to heal and the reality of our broken world.

The first thing that's true is this all things one day will be made new.

At the very end of the Bible, in Revelation chapter 21, the Apostle John has this vision from heaven, and he says this, and I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man.

Revelation 21 · chapter mention

He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.

He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more.

Neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.

Chapter 22 goes on to describe that the curse from the original garden in Genesis 3 is broken, and all things are made right.

We know where we're going to end, but this second thing is also true.

Things were and are broken.

Genesis 3, as I mentioned, sin enters the world, and things have been broken ever since.

I mean, no one has to try to convince us of this, right?

I mean, you just look at the headlines on any given day.

You scroll through your phone, our own physical, emotional, spiritual suffering makes it crystal clear that things are not as they should be.

But a third thing is true as well.

Jesus made a way.

First Corinthians chapter 5, verse 20 tells us that for our sake God made him, Jesus, to be sin, who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

Jesus said that he is the way, the truth, and the life, and no one comes to the Father except through him.

Jesus is the way for us to be forgiven and ultimately healed by our Father in heaven forever.

A fourth thing is true as well.

You have a good Father in heaven who loves you dearly.

Man, I don't know what kind of father you have had or you have, but no matter how good your earthly father was, he doesn't compare to your heavenly father.

Ancient deities and gods, they were effectively angry, they needed to be appeased and manipulated, they were vengeful, spiteful, full of judgment.

And that's what makes it so shocking.

When Jesus teaches his followers to pray, he introduces a word of intimacy.

He says to address God as Father.

There is intimacy in that word, there is tenderness in that word, there is warmth in that word.

And Jesus goes on to tell us that God loves us so much and he knows us so intimately that he can tell us how many hairs are on our head.

Think about that.

Your father in heaven, who sees you suffering, who created you in your mother's womb, can tell you exactly how many hairs are on top of your head.

I have two boys.

There are days I can't even remember their birth date.

A fifth thing is true.

We get to bring our needs to him, our father in heaven, at any time and from any place.

In prayer, we're invited to bring our requests to him at any time and from any place.

Philippians chapter 4, verse 6 says this do not be anxious about anything as hard, right?

Philippians 4:6

I mean, like really hard.

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving.

Let your requests be made known to God.

And the peace of God, which surpasses all understandings, will guard your heart and your minds in Christ Jesus.

I hope you caught that last part.

What a promise.

The Bible says when we pray, God works to actively protect our hearts and minds.

And when I think of being a child and presenting my request to him, this video captures the heart for me of a good father with good intentions toward his broken children, of which I am one.

Friends, I don't know if someone has misled you about prayer and healing.

I don't know if you've been told that she died or suffered or wasn't healed because you didn't have enough faith or they didn't have enough faith.

Or that because of some sin in your life you have this ongoing illness or issue.

I can just tell you that that's not true.

God isn't withholding from you.

He's not waiting for you to say any magic words or muster up enough intrinsic super religious belief or understanding about healing.

He is simply a good father, near to his broken children, tending to their hearts with infinite wisdom and love.

Today we're actually, after the service, as part of the service, going to have a time of prayer.

One thing is clear we are instructed all over the place, all over the Bible, to pray to God.

We're exhorted to do it as a church family.

We are taught that you have a Father in heaven who loves you, whose will is good and pleasing and perfect.

That doesn't mean he answers our prayers in the way and time we want, but he comes near to his brokenhearted children, and he loves you more than you could ever imagine.

James, the very brother of Jesus, he gives us really clear instructions in the fifth chapter of his book, verses 13 to 16.

He says, This, is anyone among you suffering?

Let him pray.

Is anyone among you cheerful?

Let him sing praise.

Is there 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, and if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.

In Southland, the church that I work, at our elders pray and anoint people with oil who are sick and in need of healing.

And when we gather with them to do this, we say, God is going to answer this prayer in one of three ways.

God will answer our prayer and miraculously provide healing.

And he has done that before.

He will answer our prayer and he will use medicine and medical treatment to help bring healing.

And he has done this on many occasions.

Or he will ultimately heal you in heaven when you have a brand new resurrection body.

You see, we don't get to choose when and how God heals, but we do get to bring every need we have to his careful, loving attention and worship him and attentively wait to see how he moves.

Two stories, and I'll close.

I've heard a preacher say that there is no kind of pain like kid pain.

And if you have them and you watch them suffer, like you know that's absolutely true.

A few weeks back, my youngest son who plays football, ended up flat on his back after a really hard hit in a game, and he jogged off the field and he was holding his neck.

And I watched as he sat down on the bench, and the longer he sat there, the more intense the pain got, and it increased, and he went from moaning to writhing to crying out for help.

And so I made my way down to the bench, and a friend of mine, a former flight trauma nurse, was checking him out.

And as the pain went from his neck down his spine, things got pretty intense pretty quickly.

And when my friend Mark said we need to get him transported to the ER, it got real.

My wife had just kind of almost randomly had to go to the grocery store, had left at halftime.

So when I had to pick up the phone and call her and explain to her what was happening, and she asked, Is he okay?

And all you can say is, I don't know.

It's not a good answer.

And as soon as I had a moment, and in the back of that ambulance, I just started texting people and asking them to pray.

Actually, Forrest was on my list.

I had nowhere else to turn, but to my father in heaven and ask him to make my boy okay.

And praise God, things got sorted out at the ER, and he was clear that night, and he's okay today.

But when that situation is unfolding, you just turn to God and ask him to do everything he can to help.

Last year I had the blessing to join some of our elders to pray and anoint a woman from our church with oil named Brenda, who I've known for over 20 years.

Last year she was diagnosed with a brain tumor.

And based on our diagnosis, her days are numbered.

But I want you to listen to how she is working this out with her father in heaven.

We've exchanged some emails over the last year.

On Thursday, August 15th, 2024, Brenda writes these words.

Thank you for reaching out.

I'd like to meet with you on Monday, and you can let me know the time.

I've recently been diagnosed with a glioma brain tumor.

I'm not afraid to die, but I need prayer.

Listen to this for how to help others navigate through this.

Have a join the Lord kind of day.

Sunday, September 22nd, 2024.

Brenda writes these words.

Thank you for arranging to have the elders anoint and pray with me last week.

It meant more to Tom and I think any of you know.

This is a difficult trial, but as long as I keep my eyes on Jesus, the Lamb who was slain, I'll have nothing to fear.

Thursday, October 3rd, 2024.

Hi Nathan, this is Brenda.

Just want to let you know our father can't seem to help but pour his goodness out on me.

We are singing to each other, and it's amazing.

I'm moving slowly, but I'm moving.

The brain swelling pushes on my octave optic nerve, causing some vision issues, but God is making sure I can read from his word.

And then in big bold letters, she writes, Look at God, his faithfulness and goodness are all around us.

Well, fast forward almost a year, and on Friday, September 19th, she wrote these words.

He would like me to consider a different chemotherapy as this one is no longer effective.

She goes on to explain that she's got about four to six months of life, and maybe with different treatment, an additional four months on top of that.

But this is how she ends her message.

Our Lord has prepared me for this, and I'm ready.

I will continue to walk in steadfast confidence in our Lord as the end of life draws to a close, and our Lord bids me to come to Him.

Can't wait to see what's in store.

I'm under the impression it's going to be awesome beyond what I can fathom.

Well, a couple Wednesdays ago, at the very beginning of the month, our church had a night of worship.

And I came in that night, like so many people, it was Wednesday, but it felt like it had already been an entire week.

I was just weighed down, I was burdened.

And who would God bring into that 2,700-seat auditorium and seat right in front of me, right out of the corner of my eye, but my friend Brenda and her husband Tom.

And that night I got to watch as Brenda stood and worshiped her lungs out.

Man, she prayed and sang and prayed and sang.

And I have not been the same person since witnessing her worship God and trust him in the biggest fight of her life.

Some of you today, right now, are in a fight, or someone you dearly love is.

And so right now we have a chance as a church family to go before our Heavenly Father and to just pray and pour out our hearts to Him and to sing and to turn over everything we have, every fear, anxiety, every concern.

And around the back of the room, some of our small group leaders are going to stand up and just be hanging out back there.

And man, if we can pray with you, if we can pray for you, we would be honored to do that.

I'll be back there as well.

But let's take some time right now just to lift up our needs to our Father in heaven together and do it with everything that we have.

Pray.

We're so grateful you joined us for this week's message.

At Multiply, we believe life was never meant to be lived alone.

If today you made the decision to follow Jesus, we'd be honored to walk with you on this journey.

Visit multiplyky.com to let us know.

We love you and we'll see you again soon.