Mark 16:17-20 (NKJV) And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; theywill take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”
After reading this Scripture, you might be thinking, “Me?”. Yes, if you believe in Jesus Christ, this Scripture refers to what you are called to do and what you can do through Him.
As believers, we will likely be called to minister to the sick at some point, but it doesn’t necessarily mean we have the power gifts stated in 1 Corinthians 12:7-11. Nonetheless, we can base our faith on the promise in v18 of the opening passage, where Jesus says, “They will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover”.
Laying on of hands is a fundamental teaching, as we read in the Old Testament how the priest laid on the goat on behalf of the nation of Israel for their sins. There is a transference of the sin of Israel to the goat who carries the sin of Israel into the wilderness (Leviticus16:21). Similarly, whenever we are laying hands to appoint an elder or on the sick in the New Testament, there is a transference of anointing or the power of God. We are simply a point of contact and not the healer—healing is the work of God, whereas we are asked to operate by faith in praying for someone based on our conviction that God heals. By doing that, we become a channel for the power of God to flow through to the person. If we have this perspective, it will be much less daunting to lay hands on someone and pray in Jesus’ name.
We must understand that our sins and sicknesses have been dealt with together on the cross. God did not create sicknesses and pain, but it came with the fall of humanity. Acts 10:38 states how Jesus went about doing good and healing all who had sicknesses and pain. Praying and laying on of hands for the sick is good work, but the act of healing is God’s work and beyond man’s ability. Instead, our role is to be a conduit or a channel for God’s power to flow.
Ministering to the sick is the ministry of every believer. Our job is to believe the Word, share the Word with the ill, lay hands on them, and pray in faith. God will do the rest! These signs, like laying hands on the sick and speaking in tongues, will follow those who believe. We cannot control or manipulate the Holy Spirit’s work to bring about signs and wonders because it is the Holy Spirit’s will and workings. Our part is simply to step out in faith.
Sermon Series: The Time is Now
祂的角色，我们的角色
马可福音 16:17-18 信的人必有神迹随着他们，就是奉我的名赶鬼。说新方言。手能拿蛇。若喝了什么毒物，也必不受害。手按病人，病人就必好了。
读完这段经文后，你可能会想，“我吗？”是的，如果你相信耶稣基督，这段经文指的是你将被呼召去做的事情，以及你可以藉着祂做什么。
作为信徒，我们很可能会在某个时候被呼召去服事病人，但这并不一定意味着我们拥有哥林多前书 12:7-11 中所说的能力。尽管如此，我们可以将我们的信心建立在开头段落中的第 18 节的应许上，耶稣说：“手按病人，病人就必好了”。
按手是一个基要的教义，正如我们在旧约中读到的那样，祭司如何代表以色列人为他们的罪按手在羊头上。以色列的罪都归到那只被送到旷野的羊身上（利未记 16:21）。同样，在新约中，每当我们按手膏立长老或在手按病人时，上帝的恩膏或能力就会被转移。我们只是一个传递者，而不是医治者——医治是上帝的工作，而我们只因确信上帝能医治，及被要求凭信心为他人祷告的人。通过这样做，我们成为上帝大能流向他人的渠道。如果我们能样想，那按手在某人身上。并奉耶稣的名祷告就不会是什么太难的事了。
我们务必明白，我们的罪和疾病已经在十字架上得到了解决。疾病和痛苦不是上帝创造的，而是人类堕落的结果。使徒行传 10:38 讲述了耶稣如何周游四方行善，医好所有患病和痛苦的人。为病人祈祷和按手是好行为，但医治是上帝的工作，超出了人类的能力范围。相反，我们的角色是成为上帝能力流动的管道或渠道。
服事病人是每个信徒的事工。我们的任务是相信神的话语，与病人分享神的话语，按手在他们身上，并凭信心祷告。上帝会做剩下的事！这些神迹，如按手在病人身上和说方言，会随着那些相信的人。我们无法控制或操纵圣灵的工作来展现神迹奇事，因为这是圣灵的意愿和工作。我们所要做的只是凭信心迈出去。
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