CHURCH OF CHRIST at October 25, 2009 Don’t Forget: Nursing 2:00 Pew 5:45 Area wide singing here tonight Hebron

Jesus is the Great Physician Needed since the fall of man –Jeremiah 8:22 Is there no balm in Gilead; is there no physician there? why then is not the health of the daughter of my people recovered? Greater than any earthly physician –Deuteronomy 32:39 See now that I, even I, am he, and there is no god with me: I kill, and I make alive; I wound, and I heal The only physician who can cure sin (Matthew 9)

The Work of the Great Physician I. Preventive Medicine II. Curative Medicine

Preventive Medicine Three levels of preventive medicine: –Primary prevention—avoid the contraction of the disease (vaccinations, hygiene, etc) –Secondary prevention—limit progression of the disease (screenings, etc) –Tertiary prevention—reverse the negative effects of the disease The key to prevention—knowledge CauseNumber of deaths Smoking 435,000 deaths Overweight and Obesity 365,000 deaths Alcohol consumption 85,000 deaths Infections 75,000 deaths Toxic agents 55,000 deaths Motor vehicle collisions 43,000 deaths Incidents involving firearms 29,000 deaths Sexually transmitted infections 20,000 deaths Illicit use of drugs 17,000 deaths

Preventive Medicine Christ encourages primary prevention –In His dealings with the apostles Matthew 10:5-22—preparation for the limited commission –In His discussion with the churches Revelation 2:8-11; 3:7-13—the churches at Smyrna and Philadelphia –In the teachings of the New Testament (James 4:7; I Thessalonians 5:22)

Preventive Medicine Luke 11:28 But he said, Yea rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it. –Keep (here)  to watch, to be on guard, to avoid, to prevent escape –II Timothy 1:14 That good thing which was committed unto thee keep… –II Peter 2:5 And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly

Preventive Medicine Christ encourages secondary prevention –Matthew 23:37 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! – Hebrews 3:15 While it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation.

Preventive Medicine The key to prevention: knowledge –Hebrews 5:14 But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.

Curative Medicine Christ offers both preventive and curative medicine –I John 2:1 My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous –I John 1:6, 9 If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth…If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness

Curative Medicine Christ can cure any spiritual disorder –Luke 8:43-48—the woman with an issue of blood –John 9:1ff—the man who was blind from birth –Matthew 9:6 But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (then saith he to the sick of the palsy,) Arise, take up thy bed, and go unto thine house.

Curative Medicine But we must take the medicine –Acts 13:46 …but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles. –I Corinthians 1:17 For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect.

Christ is the Great Physician… What kind of patients are we?

Consider During the Lord’s Supper: Isaiah 53:3-6 He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.