“Spiritual Fevers”
Luke 4:38-44
Dr. Steven G. Cook
I. Introduction
A. Read Text – Luke 4:38-44
B. This the 4th miracle of Jesus recorded in God’s Word.
C. The first recorded miracle (Changing Water into Wine) revealed that Jesus is “The Creator of Life”.
D. The second recorded miracle of Jesus (Healing the Nobleman’s Son) revealed that Jesus is “The Restorer of Life”.
E. The third recorded miracle (Demonic in Synagogue) revealed that Jesus is “The Healer of Life”.
F. Our text gives the story concerning the 4th miracle of Jesus – “The Healing of Peter’s Mother-in-law”.
G. There are many practical lessons for us in this story –
1. Peter had a house in Capernaum, although he was from
Bethsaida (John 1:44); Maybe he desired to be near Jesus!
2. Peter cared for his mother-in-law.
3. Sickness often comes to home of even the most faithful.
4. Jesus loved and healed her immediately..
5. Peter’s mother-in-law, after being healed, immediately served others.
6. News of the healing prompted others to bring their loved ones to Jesus.
7. Jesus loved and healed every one of them as well (v. 40).
H. These would all be good topics to preach, but I want to look at something a little different tonight concerning this passage.
I. Notice v. 38 – “And he arose out of the synagogue, and entered into Simon’s house. And Simon’s wife’s mother was taken with a GREAT FEVER; and they besought him for her.”
J. Illustration – Whenever one of our children wake up in the middle of the night with a fever, we immediately go for the Tylenol and call the doctor! We know that if the fever is left unattended, serious repercussions can occur! FEVERS are serious business!
K. May I suggest we all pay as much attention to fevers in our spiritual lives?
L. FEVERS are an indication that there is something wrong on the inside – infection has set in!
M. Many believers suffer from spiritual fevers and need a touch from the Master’s Hand.
N. That’s what REVIVAL is about! Revival is not for the Lost; it is for the Saved.
O. Let us examine 4 Aspects of Spiritual Fevers:
1. Characteristics of Spiritual Fevers
2. Causes of Spiritual Fevers
3. Consequences of Spiritual Fevers
4. Cure for Spiritual Fevers
II. Characteristics of Spiritual Fevers
A. Religious Restlessness -
1. Like a person with fever, restless and discontented, there are many believers who find no rest or contentment in serving God.
2. They become uneasy, anxious, and frustrated.
3. They try changing churches, Sunday school classes, and even denominations – this is only an outward symptom of an inward problem.
4. Paul exhorts us to “be content”… God has a way of opening doors of opportunity for us when the time is right!
B. Insistent Irritability -
1. Like a person with a fever, some believers become hard to live with because of spiritual fever.
2. Irritability is NOT a fruit of the Spirit of God!
3. However, we all know professing believers who are cranky and irritable every time you meet them.
4. This too is a symptom that there is a spiritual problem.
C. Roller-Coaster Consistency -
1. Sick people may be nice one moment and mean the next.
2. Believers with spiritual fever are inconsistent in their walk.
3. Many believers are hot & cold constantly, never seeming to make a commitment more than a few weeks or months.
4. God’s Word exhorts us to “walk worthy of the vocation to which we are called.”
D. Thirsting for Temporal Things -
1. Fevers make a person thirsty…and believers who cannot satisfy their thirst for temporal things have spiritual fever.
2. We are exhorted to “love not the world, neither the things of the world, all that is in the world, …..” (1 John 2:14-15)
3. Col. 3:2-3 – “Set your affections on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.”
E. Aimless Ambitions -
1. Folks suffering from scarlet fever become listless and aimless.
2. There are believers too who are listless and aimless, not caring that they wander in the wilderness of spiritual poverty!
3. All the while, they could cross over Jordan into the land of victorious Christian living if they would only BELIEVE!
4. How sad when there is no vision among God’s people!
F. Tired Taste Buds
1. Whenever one has a fever, nothing seems to taste good.
2. The same can be said of a believer who has a spiritual fever – They no longer desire to feed upon the Word of God!
3. They desire the preacher to introduce something NEW, not the old, old story of Jesus and His love.
4. My friend, this is a characteristic of spiritual fever!
III. Causes of Spiritual Fevers
A. How is it that people contract fevers in the physical realm?
B. Fevers Are Bred in Low Lying Spots -
1. Geographically, we know that people who work in low, lying areas of the world are more likely to contract diseases.
2. The construction of the Panama Canal is a good example of this.
3. Believers living below their spiritual privileges are likely to contract spiritual fevers as well.
4. If you are spending time in the wetlands of worldliness, the seat of the scornful, or attempting to abide in apathy, there is a good likelihood that you will contract a spiritual fever.
C. Fevers Develop by Allowing Things to Stagnate -
1. Whenever pools of water stagnate, they breed all kinds of insects and diseases.
2. The same is true in our spiritual lives – we too will experience difficulties when we fail to exercise spiritually.
3. READ - Jude 17-23
D. Fevers Result from Filthy Conditions -
1. Filth breeds filth…fevers can result from bacteria bred in filth.
2. Areas that are not purged from filth breed more filth, and so on.
3. As believers, we are to separate ourselves from among those who are unregenerate.
4. We are to walk in the light of God’s Word….lest we suffer spiritual fever and be of no use to the cause of Christ.
E. Fevers Result from Poor Diet -
1. I am not medical doctor like Dr. Willis, but I know that diet is necessary to fortify your body against diseases.
2. As a matter of fact, there have been 3 changes to man’s diet since God created Adam – and ultimately there will be a 4th.
3. We as believers will suffer if we do not feed upon the Word of God, fellowship with other believers, and spend time in prayer.
4. If our diet consists of worldliness, we can be sure to contract spiritual fevers.
F. Fevers Can Be Contracted from Others -
1. Sadly, those who suffer from fever can infect those around them.
2. Fevers are a result of disease, and the disease can be contagious.
3. It is not good to spend a great deal of time around those who are infected and suffer spiritual fevers.
IV. The Consequences of Spiritual Fevers
A. There are always consequences for SIN…Let us look a few
consequences of spiritual fevers in our lives.
B. Fevers Put You Out of Commission -
1. Every child of God has been commissioned to go and tell, but unless you have a “pure heart & clean conscious”, you will not be effective.
2. As a matter of fact, we should not attempt to do the work of God while suffering from a spiritual fever.
B. Fevers Bring Pain & Suffering -
1. Not only are we not able to serve God, but we will suffer conviction and pain.
2. David saw the consequences of his sin in Psalm 32 & 51.
C. Fevers Change Our Outward Countenance -
1. There is nothing more pitiful than to look at a child suffering from fever.
2. The same can be said of a child of God – How pitiful a believer looks when they are out of the will of God!
D. Fevers Cause Weakness -
1. There is no strength when one suffers from fever… In the Christian life, there is no power in service of God.
2. The reason for so many anemic Christians is that they have no strength…the reason they have no strength is because they have no JOY… “The JOY of the Lord is our Strength!”
E. Fevers Are Contagious -
1. This again is important to realize – Fevers can be contracted because of others!
2. When Peter went a fishing, he took others with him! John 21!
3. When new converts see elder believers suffer spiritual fever, they too are affected and infected!
4. God help us to be good mentors for young believers!
V. The Cure for Spiritual Fevers
A. There is only ONE CURE … Read Luke 4:38-39
B. Notice the 5 Steps in v. 39 -
1. See Jesus Standing Over YOU
2. Repent of YOUR SIN (Rebuke)
3. Allow Jesus to Touch YOU (Matt. 8:15)
4. Arise from YOUR SICK BED
5. Serve Others in the Name of the Lord
C. 2 Chronicles 7:14
