Episode Transcript
[00:00:04] Speaker A: Great. Well, my name is Justin, Justin Slade. I'm one of the team here and I'm also a team evangelist with Mission 24.
And so the first thing that I would like to say this morning to everyone who has served and partnered and prayed together during this week, both here at Rediscover and the Mission24 team, whether you've cooked a curry, washed dishes, whether you've been here of an evening or as part of a church team, or you've been out on the streets sharing the gospel, whoever you are, and however, whatever you've done, I just want to say a really, really big heartfelt personal thank you. Come on, give yourselves an applause.
So I'm privileged to have here with me this week a Mission 24 team.
They've come at their own expense to serve the city and the church. In fact, I wonder if they would just stand. If you're on Team Mission 24, would you just stand where you are? Should we just give them a round of applause here?
Thanks, guys.
So at the end of my message, there'll be a time of ministry, particularly ministry healing. And they're going to be assisting me in the ministry times. So you've seen their faces now, you know they're safe.
So they've all completed or are in the process of completing the Mission 24 School of Ministry and Mission.
And that's actually the second level of training in mission and ministry run by Mission24. The first entry level is called the Impact Course and that's been running during the day here, starting on Wednesday during the daytime.
And actually he doesn't know I'm going to ask him this now, but actually I'd like one of the students who's been here on the Impact Course to just come and join me now for a minute. Will just come out and join me. Give him a big round.
It's okay. If it gets tough, I'll ask you one on sport, so don't worry.
So will the Impact training tell us one thing about the Impact Training this week? One thing. If you were going to share in like one sentence, one thing that you've taken or any kind of change that it's brought to your life, Just tell us one thing.
[00:03:04] Speaker B: Life changing.
[00:03:07] Speaker A: Wow, that's amazing.
Can you give like a little example of how, of, of how it's been life changing? Just, just, just, just one story, one, you know, one testament.
[00:03:24] Speaker B: Yeah, it was just, it was great to go out with Justin and learn so much and learn how he is able to preach the gospel to so many people. And so many different people that we came, came across yesterday, it was, it was really eye opening and to see the reaction of people, you know, some weren't great, but there was definitely some way you could feel that they were connecting a lot and they, they knew it was the truth, you know, and maybe they, at that point, maybe they were wanting to fight it a bit. But you can see that they're definitely going to go away and it's going to be that seed's been planted, definitely. So yeah, praise God.
[00:04:02] Speaker A: And this.
Yeah.
And next year, School of Ministry and Mission. Are you thinking about it?
[00:04:09] Speaker B: Oh, I'm all in. I'm all in.
[00:04:11] Speaker A: Great Christian, bless you.
What's great about the school, in fact, there'll be a QR code up here which will take you to the website. And if you go to the tab and just hit the drop down and go to the training section, then all the detail about the school is on there. It's teach and do not just classroom, it's classroom plus activation.
And actually what happens very quickly is that folks that come on this training, actually rather than just reading about what Jesus and the disciples did and in their hearts be thinking, oh, I'd really want to be doing that actually by the grace of God, it equips and trains ordinary believers like you and me to do just that. It's absolutely amazing. So look, I can't encourage you enough.
Check out the website, pray about it and if God puts it on your heart, sign up, as I know a number of you have already done.
Before I say anything else this morning, let's pray.
Father, I thank you that you are here by your very presence among us this morning.
Thank you, Father. Even this morning you've been speaking to many hearts, drawing us closer to you.
Father, I want to pray two special things, Lord. First, if there's anybody here who is in need of healing, that Father, they would come to you in faith this morning. Faith that they receive from your word and receive what they're coming for.
And Father, I pray as well, above all else, that if there is anybody here that doesn't yet know you in their hearts as their Savior, as the forgiver of their sins and the Savior of their souls, that they wouldn't leave this place without knowing the joy of salvation and the certainty of eternal life.
Amen.
Matthew chapter eight starts like this.
When he had come down from the mountain, great multitudes followed him, and behold, a leper came and worshipped him, saying, lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.
Then Jesus put out his hand and touched him, saying, I am willing be cleansed.
Immediately, his leprosy was cleansed.
In Jesus day, people being healed of leprosy was unheard of.
In fact, people thought that if you touched a leper, then you yourself would contract the disease.
It was bad enough to contract the disease and face certain death. But to make it worse in the waiting, lepers had to live completely separate and away from everyone else, including their families.
And if someone happened to come near them, they had to shout themselves unclean, unclean to warn them away.
How humiliated and separated and desperate must they have felt isolated and rejected?
Without a doubt, everyone in society would have feared contracting the disease. Without a doubt, they would have also feared death.
So this leper was breaking the law. He hadn't shouted a warning and he was there among the crowd.
But somehow he must have heard about Jesus because he said, if you are willing, you can make me clean.
The issue for this man wasn't whether Jesus was able to, whether he had the power to do it. The issue was whether he was willing.
That issue today is one that many of us face.
In fact, that might be you this morning.
You know that God has the power to, but you're not sure if he's willing.
Jesus settled it in one sentence and in one action.
He says, I am willing, and stretches out his hands and says, be cleansed as he lays hands on him.
Why is that so important? That is so important because Romans, chapter 2, verse 11 says that God is not partial.
He doesn't show partiality, he doesn't prefer one over another. In other words, what he'll do for one, he'll do for any.
And if he'll do it for any, that means he'll do it for you.
Turn to the person next to you and say, he'll do it for you.
A disease that many people today are in fear of. They're in fear of a diagnosis of a disease called cancer.
Six years ago, I was on mission with my good friend Jonathan. We were in Cape Town, South Africa, and in a congregation of about this size, there was an old couple sat at the back. He was in a wheelchair.
The pastor's wife had whispered to me quietly before the meeting started that he had stage four liver cancer, that the doctors had done everything that they could for him.
I think he still had maybe one or two more appointments, but in terms of treatment, they'd done everything after. People have responded to come and be ministered to as we'll do. Shortly after, I noticed I kept an eye open. I noticed that he'd not come forward.
And so after we finished ministering, I made my way up to the back. And without letting on that I knew what he was being afflicted by, I just asked him, I said, sir, is there anything that you would like me to pray for you?
To my surprise, he didn't ask me to pray for healing. He said this.
He said, sir, what I'd like is to maintain the peace that I have in my heart.
And so I went with that. But first, before I prayed, I got permission to lay my hands on him.
And of course, I was doing that in faith. I was doing it in faith because Jesus promised every believing believer is that we will lay our hands on the sick and they will recover. And so I laid my hands on him.
I prayed as he wanted me to pray.
And then shortly after, we were at the airport and flying home. Two weeks later.
You know what I'm going to say, don't you?
Two weeks later, there was an email from his son that came into the office.
What did Justin pray for? My dad. He went back. He had another scan.
There wasn't a trace of cancer anywhere in his body.
That's our Lord Jesus.
And the Bible says that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
What he'll do for one, he'll do for all.
As long as you meet the criteria, you've got to come to him believing that he is who he says he is and that he will keep his promise. If you do that, guess what you will receive. What that man received, you will receive what this leper received.
Amen.
Verse five of chapter eight carries on now. When Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, pleading with him, saying, lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, dreadfully tormented. And Jesus said to him, I will come and heal him. The centurion answered and said, lord, I'm not worthy that you should come under my roof, but only speak a word and my servant will be healed, for I also am a man under authority. By the way, this is a side note. You can have this for free. I, too, am a man under authority.
As an evangelist, I am here under the authority of the church leaders. And it's been a great honor, not just as a partner in the church, but as part of a team leading a team to serve the leaders of the church this week. Thank you for the opportunity, Mike, and the rest of the team.
For I also am a man under authority, having soldiers under me.
And I say to this one, go. And he goes, to another, come and he comes to my servant, do this, and he does it.
When Jesus heard it, he marveled and said to those who followed, assuredly, I say to you, I've not found such great faith, not even in Israel.
And I say to you that many will come from the east and the west, that's us.
And sit down with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. But the sons of the kingdom will be cast into outer darkness.
There will be weeping, gnashing of teeth. These are the words of Jesus.
He's describing the reality of eternal separation from God, something that he doesn't want for anyone.
It's not his will that any should perish.
But if anyone continues to refuse right up until their dying death, then they will have made that choice themselves. They There is only, only one place to go in that instance, because there are only two destinations. There is a heaven to gain and there is a hell to shun. And God in his grace gives us the dignity of making that choice.
I trust if there's anyone here today that hasn't yet chosen heaven that you would choose Jesus to.
Then Jesus said to the centurion, go your way, and as you have believed, so let it be done for you.
And his servant was healed that very hour.
Jesus healed in all sorts of different ways, but one of the ways that he did it was literally by the spoken word, by giving a command of faith.
Back in 2020, you'll remember 2020, I'm sure one of the other team evangelists who also works in a hospital contracted a new virus that hadn't yet been given a name.
The hospital that he lived in, that he worked in, rather had an IC unit which was completely full.
All of the intubators were being used.
He contracted this virus and for seven days he had a temperature that bordered 40 degrees, between 39 and 40 degrees. Anyone medically trained or medically aware will know that 40 degrees is life threatening.
He couldn't eat, he couldn't drink, he had no energy. He literally lay in bed the whole time.
He got to day seven, he was wasting away. He was desperate.
He phoned an ambulance. They came and they confirmed what he already knew.
They said, there's no point us taking you in because at the moment your lungs are still functioning. But if that changes, get in touch straight away and we will come straight to you and just see what we can do in terms of finding somewhere.
At that point, he contacted the team office.
They sent out onto the group chat.
Luis's situation.
As I read the message, God dropped the gift of Faith into my heart. The gift of faith is different to saving faith. It's one of the gifts that's listed there in 1 Corinthians 12, a portion of God's extra faith to do something special.
It dropped into my heart and I knew, like, I knew that if I could just speak to him that he would be healed.
I wasn't trying to believe it, I just knew it. I messaged him. Can I phone you? Got a reply pretty much straight away.
Phoned him, gave a simple command of faith. In fact, these were the words that I found coming out of my mouth.
I command every viral cell in your body to die in the name of Jesus.
Remember, he's been in bed for seven days. His temperature's been 39 and 40. Just fluctuating between those two numbers.
These are his words.
Within four minutes, his temperature was 37 degrees, and he started to feel hungry, so he went to the fridge and got some food.
And then he felt like praising God, so he put some worship music on and he started dancing around.
But then he felt hungry again and went back to the fridge, ate some more food, danced and praised Jesus some more. That went on for five hours.
That church, that is our Jesus. Amen. Amen.
Verse 16 of Matthew, chapter 8, just dropping down a little bit further, says this. When evening had come, they brought to him many who were demon possessed. And he cast out the spirits with the Word.
And he healed all who were sick that it might be fulfilled, which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying he himself took our infirmities and bore our sicknesses.
Of course, what he's doing there is quoting Isaiah, chapter 53. We'll come back to that in a minute.
One more testimony.
Four weeks ago, I was on mission in Swansea.
Anyone from Wales here?
Hey, a few Welsh people here.
I was on mission in Swansea and just in the north of Swansea, an area called Morriston. And there were a couple of us paired up out on the streets, reaching out, sharing the gospel and ministering, healing. And as I was out and looking down the pavement, I noticed walking towards me very slowly and quite unsteadily, an elderly gentleman, probably in his 70s, with a walking stick, quite frail.
And so as not to surprise him, I stood to the side by the shop, waited for him to come a bit nearer, and then very slowly, as I approached him, smiled at him and just greeted him.
I'm going to cut a long story short here.
He was very glad to receive ministry. I said Jesus had given us this promise of laying hands on the sick. He was very happy he got arthritis in his right hip.
And so I laid my hands on his hip. There'd been a lot of pain in that hip as well. Jesus took all the pain away and he carried his stick home.
But before that, as I was praying and ministering and talking to him, I noticed that he had hearing aids in both ears. And so I asked the question about what his hearing level was like, and he said, I've got hardly any hearing. I have to have this up really, really high all the time.
So I said, sir, how about.
How about we ask Jesus to open your ears? Would you like that?
You can imagine what his arts. Having just got healed with his hip, you can imagine he was keen for that as well. And so in the name of Jesus, I laid my hands on his ears, commanded his ears to open, and right there and then, Jesus opened his ears.
So one of the ways, one of the ways I'll often test out hearing because it's quite a difficult thing, especially in a noisy environment. Most. One thing I'll do is I'll get someone having ministered to them to turn around so they can't see me.
I stand behind them and then I say, I'm going to say a number randomly between 1 and 5. If you hear a number, hold up the number of fingers for the number I've just called out.
Of course, every time I call a number out, I take another step back, keeping my voice at the same level.
I'd got about three, three and a half meters away. I couldn't go any further because I was in the road.
There was a parked car, but I was literally at the edge of it. And then I asked him then to just turn around.
As he turned around, his jaw dropped open. He could hardly believe that this had happened to him.
And again, tears started to roll down his face. So now he had in one hand a walking stick, which he was carrying, and in the other a pair of hearing aids, neither of which he needed anymore. Praise God.
If you've never heard testimony like this, this isn't story, this is an account.
All these things happened to real people.
In fact, I'm hoping that Luis, who was healed of COVID I'm hoping that he might be part of the team helping me to lead the Somme here in September.
The reason why healing still happens today is because of what took place on the cross.
Someone very famous, a fantastic Bible teacher called Derek Prince, coined this phrase. He called it the divine exchange. There are many aspects to the divine exchange.
I'm just going to mention three, and I'm keeping a really close eye on the time. You know what it means when an evangelist looks at his watch, don't you?
Absolutely nothing.
Actually, Mike said as long as you're finished by 2 o' clock, it's fine. Justin.
No, I'm only joking.
No, it's three o' clock.
Three aspects of the divine exchange. Number one, on the cross, Jesus destroyed the power of the devil so that we might be set free from the fear of death.
As I was praying for you this morning, I know by the Spirit of God there are quite a number of you that are being afflicted by that same fear of death. And if you will come to Jesus this morning, he will set you free from that fear. Hebrews 2, verses 14 and 15 says this. Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, in other words, we're human beings, he himself, that's Jesus likewise shared in the same that through death he might destroy him who had the power of death, that is the devil, and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.
Jesus sets people free. He is the great liberator. In fact, his name means deliverer.
Deliverer. That's literally what the name of Jesus means.
Number two, Jesus bore our sickness and pain that we might be healed.
Isaiah 53 I mentioned earlier, surely he has borne our sicknesses. So on the cross, having taken those stripes, he was literally in exchange for our healing, taking us our sickness and our pain in his own body on the tree.
And by his stripes, we we are healed.
And the third aspect that I'm going to mention this morning, third of many of the divine exchange, Jesus bore our sin and the punishment for our sin. That's what the Hebrew, the Hebrew word is avon and it means literally both the sin and the punishment for our sin.
Jesus bore our sin and the punishment for our sin that we might be forgiven and become sons of God.
Amen.
Before we minister.
And Jesus will heal people like he did yesterday. There was a woman who was ministered to yesterday.
A couple of us, two of us on the team, prayed for her at different times. Actually, she was seeking Jesus earnestly for her healing.
She'd been to the hospital.
She was unable currently to conceive.
She had a number of fibroids in her womb. One of them was 18cm big.
Having been prayed for by two of us at the end, she said she could no longer feel either the pain or that large fibroid that was in her womb. Glory to God.
But before we minister healing you Know the greatest miracle, greater even than healing, is to receive the forgiveness of our sins.
A couple of years ago, as I was preparing to preach a message, God gave me this phrase. I think this is just a heavenly download that sums this up. Listen carefully.
The Son of God became the Son of man, that the sons of men might become sons of God.
Let me say that again.
The Son of God became the Son of man, that the sons of men might become sons of God.
It's all because of Jesus.
He died for our sin. And with our sin having died, they buried him.
But because he'd not sinned, the only one sinless.
Because he'd not sinned, death couldn't halt him. And so three days later, God raised Jesus from the dead.
And God's promise to every one of us is this, that if any of us call on the name of the Lord, if any one of us calls on the name of Jesus, we will be saved.
That's a Bible word. Very simply, what happens is this.
And I'm coming into land now.
What happens is this.
As we turn our hearts to Jesus and thank him and receive his forgiveness into our hearts, we become born again of the Spirit of God.
We're all born. We all have natural life. But the life that Jesus gives is eternal. It's the life of God. And that's the life that's spoken about here in these passages.
And so what we're going to do now is this.
Just before we pray for people, we're going to pray a simple prayer together.
And if you're here this morning, or if you're watching online and you've not yet made Jesus the Lord of your life, if you've not turned to him and thanked him for what he's done for you and asked him to come into your heart, then I'm going to give you the opportunity to do that right now. I'm going to lead you in a simple prayer. The rest of us who are already walking with Jesus, we are going to pray this prayer at the same time to support you praying it for the first time.
And actually, there may be some people who prayed it a number of years ago, but actually you've not been walking with Jesus. Then pray it this morning again afresh, and really mean it. Get back on track.
Continue as a disciple.
Let's pray together. Pray this out loud. After me.
Dear Lord Jesus, thank you that you love me.
You love me so much.
You died for my sin.
I believe that you rose from the dead.
I'm turning away from sin.
I'm Turning to follow you.
Come into my heart.
I receive you, your forgiveness, your love, and your eternal life.
Help me every day to follow you.
Amen.
Two simple steps.
Jesus always called people to follow him.
But we're going to do two things before we do the actual walking part.
Physically, I'm going to count from three to one. And if you prayed that prayer for the first time, you've never asked Jesus your heart before. If you prayed that for the first time, then when I get to that number one, just raise your hand so that I can see.
Or if you're coming back to Jesus because you've been not been walking with him, you put your hand up as well. Are you ready? Here we go. 3, 2, 1. Just raise your hand right now. Bless you, sir. Anybody else? Bless you.
Bless you at the back. Anybody else? Bless you, madam.
Anybody else?
Anybody else?
Wonderful. Praise God.
Okay, second step, and this is the big one. Now, in a minute, I'm going to invite all of us to stand.
But for you, who've just raised your hand, what I want you to do is leave where you're sitting and come and join me here at the front, because I want to pray for you. Okay? As you do that, you may need ear mufflers because this place is going to go ballistic celebrating what you've done this morning. Let's stand together.
And would those people now come forward? Come right forward.
Come right forward.
