Three Ways of God's Answers

This is from the sermon that I attended on 23 Agosto 2009, I couldn't really take a good note, that's why this note is loose and incomplete.


The Pastor gave illustration from Luke 5:12-16:

12And it came to pass, when he was in a certain city, behold a man full of leprosy: who seeing Jesus fell on his face, and besought him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.

13And he put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will: be thou clean. And immediately the leprosy departed from him.

14And he charged him to tell no man: but go, and shew thyself to the priest, and offer for thy cleansing, according as Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them.

15But so much the more went there a fame abroad of him: and great multitudes came together to hear, and to be healed by him of their infirmities.

16And he withdrew himself into the wilderness, and prayed.

These are some explanation from the pastor about the above verses:
1. God has had mission since the beginning to rescue sinners, but should always remember that Salvation happens only when the human is still alive.

2. Interesting facts from the leper case:
a. The lepers in that time were the outcasts and lived in their own community. The fact that the leper could present in the town and reached Jesus shows how big the risk that he took and how great was his faith.
b. What made it so special that God healed him without even questioning him?
It is his sentence: Lord, if You are willing, You are able to cure me and make me clean.
His words show how the leper left all the authority to God, that God is The Omnipotent.

3. There is this X  factor within someone's faith, known only by God.

My conclusion:
God is always willing to help us, but it is our effort, Faith and our submission to His will that He sees. We might feel that we already have big faith, but only God knows whether we have The Faith.

The pastor who delivered this sermon also warns us, that there are three ways of God's answers:
1. Prayer is granted immediately
2. Prayer takes a longer or long time to be answered.
3. Prayer is not granted, this can be because of that X factor or because of God's plan to make the person as a great testimony to others. --this is tough