February 10, 2019
MESSAGES FROM JOHN MARK
“Exile from the Bondage of Sickness”
Mark 1:29-39 NIV
Sermon Outline and Questions:
Introduction:
Being part of a community is good for physical, emotional and spiritual healing.
1. Jesus frees people from the bondage of sickness into community.
a. Jesus heals Peter’s mother-in-law.
i. Restored to her community, she begins to serve.
b. Jesus heals people who come from every part of the town.
i. Freed from bondage of sickness, they are restored into their community.
2. Jesus’ healing points to the day when Jesus will return.
a. There will be no sickness, suffering and death.
3. What does the healing ministry of Christ’s church consist of today?
a. Through modern history, the church built and ran hospitals; healing the sick.
i. With provincial funding, this ministry is limited (for the church).
b. Church’s hold healing services.
i. Healing takes place during these services.
ii. Most of the sick who come, go home in the same condition.
c. The church heals by including their sick, broken and frail members in the community.
i. Being part of a community brings physical, emotional and spiritual health.
Conclusion:
When we include the sick, lame, frail and those struggling with destructive forces
in our church community they are lifted up. They are healed.
Small Group Questions:
1. Was there a time in your life when you resented being in a church community?
2. What is it like to meet a person who like things that you like, who is a “kindred spirit?”
3. What have you learned about yourself from the people in your community?
4. Does sickness isolate? Is it a form of bondage?
5. What did you think when you read that as soon as Peter’s mother-in-law was healed, she began to serve?
6. Are you able to read this as Jesus “lifting” her up to restore her into her community?
7. How does the church faithfully follow Jesus’ in her ministry of healing the sick?
a. Are we called to support hospitals? Christian counselling services?
b. Should the church hold healing services?
c. What kind of healings take place at healing services?
d. How does including our members who are sick, frail, broken and who are struggling with destructive forces in our
church community bring physical, emotional and spiritual healing? Provide examples.