Faith Matters: Power By Faith (Part IV)

• [Go Back]

• By Rev. Devadosan Sugirtharaj
• Posted 05/24/2020
• Viewed 521

• Tweet

Power by Faith

2 Kings 5:1-14

Rev Dr Devadosan Sugirtharaj

Introduction

• Power of faith is always both internally making us strong and outwardly demonstrating us powerful and effective
• Nothing is impossible to God! Nothing is impossible to all who trusts in all. Phil.4:13

I can do all this through him who gives me strength.

13. என்னைப் பெலப்படுத்துகிற கிறிஸ்துவினாலே எல்லாவற்றையுஞ்செய்ய எனக்குப் பெலனுண்டு.

• How can we experience the power of faith in our lives and also how can we demonstrate the power of faith in others’ lives?

Word Study

Power: There are two words used in Greek to note the word Power. Exousia and Dunamis. Exousia means delegated authority and Dunamis means ability or might or capability based on the power of God. In the New Testament, dunamis is connected with healing supernatural power of God. In this study, we are focusing on dunamis which brings healing or God’s supernatural might in human lives.

Healing: In Hebrew, marpe is the word for healing and it means cure (Jeremiah.14:19) and in Greek, therapeuo is the word and it means wholeness, restoration and healing.

Therapeutic is a word derived from Greek word.

How can we experience the power of faith in our lives and also in others?

1. When we trust the gospel of God and its message, then we can experience the power of faith bringing healing in our lives
   1. In this passage, the little slave girl from Israel told the Commander in Chief of Syrian army Naaman about the healing ministry of the prophet Elisha and asked him to go and get healing from his leprosy.
      1. 2 Kings.5:5, 8-9: “If only my master would see the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy.” 8 When Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his robes, he sent him this message: “Why have you torn your robes? Have the man come to me and he will know that there is a prophet in Israel.” 9 So Naaman went with his horses and chariots and stopped at the door of Elisha’s house.

3. அவள் தன் நாச்சியாரைப் பார்த்து: என் ஆண்டவன் சமாரியாவிலிருக்கிற தீர்க்கதரிசியினிடத்தில் போவாரானால் நலமாயிருக்கும்; அவர் இவருடைய குஷ்டரோகத்தை நீக்கிவிடுவார் என்றாள்.8. இஸ்ரவேலின் ராஜா தன் வஸ்திரங்களைக் கிழித்துக்கொண்ட செய்தியை தேவனுடைய மனுஷனாகிய எலிசா கேட்டபோது, அவன்: நீர் உம்முடைய வஸ்திரங்களைக் கிழித்துக்கொள்வானேன்? அவன் என்னிடத்தில் வந்து, இஸ்ரவேலிலே தீர்க்கதரிசி உண்டென்பதை அறிந்துகொள்ளட்டும் என்று ராஜாவுக்குச் சொல்லியனுப்பினான்.9. அப்படியே நாகமான் தன் குதிரைகளோடும் தன் இரதத்தோடும் வந்து எலிசாவின் வாசற்படியிலே நின்றான்.

1. Listening to God’s good news or message and believing in it is the first step for us to experience the power of faith in us and also in others’ lives. God heals the people. God save them. The gospel of Christ is Christ himself.
2. Romans.1:16. For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile.

16. கிறிஸ்துவின் சுவிசேஷத்தைக் குறித்து நான் வெட்கப்படேன்; முன்பு யூதரிலும் பின்பு கிரேக்கரிலும் விசுவாசிக்கிறவனெவனோ அவனுக்கு  இரட்சிப்பு உண்டாவதற்கு அது தேவபெலனாயிருக்கிறது.

1. Believing God’s word or message or gospel is the beginning of experiencing God’s power in us and in others.
2. Biblical Example: Matthew 9:27-31: Two blind men asked Jesus to heal them. Jesus asked him: “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” “Yes, Lord,” they replied. 29 Then he touched their eyes and said, “According to your faith let it be done to you”; 30 and their sight was restored.
3. Illustration: John Paton was a presbyterian missionary in the island of Tanna and lost his wife and five week old son and spent 15 years to serve and translate John’s gospel in the tribal language. One day he wanted to translate the word trust in John.1:12 in the tribal language. He could not find any suitable word. When the native servant came to him, he asked him, “What I am doing?”. The man said: Sitting at your desk. Then Paton raised both feet off the floor and sat back on his chair. He asked: What am I doing now?”. The native man used a verb which means: To lean your whole weight upon. Paton used that verb for trust in that native translation. Trusting God’s word means: Leaning on your whole weight upon God’s word.

1. When we obey gospel of God and its message, then we can experience the power of faith bringing healing in our lives
   1. In this passage, Prophet Elijah asked Naaman to wash himself seven time in the Jordan river but he was very angry and turned and went off in a rage
      1. 2 Kings.5: 13-14: 13 Naaman’s servants went to him and said, “My father, if the prophet had told you to do some great thing, would you not have done it? How much more, then, when he tells you, ‘Wash and be cleansed’!” 14 So he went down and dipped himself in the Jordan seven times, as the man of God had told him, and his flesh was restored and became clean like that of a young boy.

13. அவன் ஊழியக்காரர் சமீபத்தில் வந்து, அவனை நோக்கி: தகப்பனே, அந்தத் தீர்க்கதரிசி ஒரு பெரிய காரியத்தைச் செய்ய உமக்குச் சொல்லியிருந்தால் அதை நீர் செய்வீர் அல்லவா? ஸ்நானம் பண்ணும், அப்பொழுது சுத்தமாவீர் என்று அவர் உம்மோடே சொல்லும் போது, அதைச் செய்யவேண்டியது எத்தனை அதிகம் என்று சொன்னார்கள்.14. அப்பொழுது அவன் இறங்கி, தேவனுடைய மனுஷன் வார்த்தையின்படியே யோர்தானில் ஏழுதரம் முழுகினபோது, அவன் மாம்சம் ஒரு சிறுபிள்ளையின் மாம்சத்தைப்போல மாறி, அவன் சுத்தமானான்.

1. When we hear God’s word or message, it would be a first step to hear and then believe. The important next step is to obey it. Sometimes we do not want to obey as we expect God to say something soothing to our ears or hearts. When we yield to obey to God’s word, then we can experience the power of faith demonstrated in our lives and others.
2. 1 Samuel 15:22: 22 And Samuel said “Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifices and to listen than the fat of rams. Obedience to God’s word is most important in experiencing the power of faith.

22. அதற்குச் சாமுவேல்: கர்த்தருடைய சத்தத்திற்குக் கீழ்ப்படிகிறதைப்பார்க்கிலும், சர்வாங்க தகனங்களும் பலிகளும் கர்த்தருக்குப் பிரியமாயிருக்குமோ? பலியைப்பார்க்கிலும் கீழ்ப்படிதலும், ஆட்டுக்கடாக்களின் நிணத்தைப்பார்க்கிலும் செவிகொடுத்தலும் உத்தமம்.

1. Biblical example: Joshua.3:  12 when those who bore the ark had come to the Jordan, and the feet of the priests who bore the ark had dipped in the edge of the water (for the Jordan overflows all its banks all the time of harvest),
2. Illustration: When Chuck Swindoll met the former astronaut General Charles M Duke and Charles explained his experience of the Apollo 16 mission. Chuck asked him: Charles, Once you were there weren’t you free to make your own decisions and carry out some of your own experiments?”. Charles smiled and said: Sure Chuck, if we did not want to return to earth. Chuck said:  I got the distinct impression that a rebel doesn’t fit inside a space suit.

1. When we live thankful to God and proclaim his wonder, then we can experience the power of faith bringing healing in our lives
   1. In this passage, Naaman wanted to show his gratitude to God by giving money and resources to the prophet Elijah but he refused to take them. However, the great gratitude Naaman gave to God is this:
      1. 2 Kings. 5:17 “If you will not,” said Naaman, “please let me, your servant, be given as much earth as a pair of mules can carry, for your servant will never again make burnt offerings and sacrifices to any other god but the Lord.

17. அப்பொழுது நாகமான்: ஆனாலும் இரண்டு கோவேறு கழுதைகள் சுமக்கத்தக்க இரண்டு பொதி மண் உமது அடியேனுக்குக் கட்டளையிடவேண்டும்; உமது அடியேன் இனிக் கர்த்தருக்கே அல்லாமல், அந்நிய தேவர்களுக்குச் சர்வாங்க தகனத்தையும் பலியையும் செலுத்துவதில்லை.

1. When God responds to our trust in God’s word and also complete obedience to His word, then the power of faith makes us to live out our life as a thanksgiving to God and also to proclaim his wonders.
2. Biblical example: Luke.17:11-17: Ten were healed by Jesus from their leprosy but one Samaritan came and was committed to live thankful to God. Jesus asked, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? 18 Has no one returned to give praise to God except this foreigner?” 19 Then he said to him, “Rise and go; your faith has made you well.” Nine were healed from leprosy but one was healed inside and out by the power of faith.
3. Illustration: There was a man who found a barn where Satan kept his seeds ready to be sown in the human heart. He found that the seeds of discouragement were more numerous than the others and he learned that those seeds could be made to grow almost anywhere. But when Satan was questioned, he reluctantly admitted that there was one place in which he could never get them to thrive. “And where is that?” asked the man. Satan replied sadly, “In the heart of a grateful person.”

Conclusion

As the people of God, our faith in God has the power and that power brings amazing wonders and healing to us and others when

1. we trust the gospel of God and its message
2. we obey gospel of God and its message
3. we live thankful to God and proclaim his wonder.

Questions for Your Reflections

1. How does your faith demonstrate its power in your life and, through you, in other’s lives?
2. What are the reasons that make you to turn away from believing God’s word or gospel in your lives? How do you overcome them?
3. Selected obedience is also disobedience. In what ways do you obey God and in what areas are you struggling to obey God’s word?
4. Gratitude is the best gift that we offer to God. How many wonders have you experienced from God? How many ways do you express your gratitude to God?
5. How does your faith serve others to experience God through your words, actions, prayers and ministries?