The Balm of Gilead, The Great Physician
Categories: Sermon Outlines, Topical Sermon OutlinesBalm of Gilead Sermon
SUBJECT: Salvation
TITLE: The Balm of Gilead/The Great Physician
PROPOSITION: To study together the problems of the sin sick soul and how these problems are met and eliminated.
OBJECTIVE: To help everyone apply the prescription given by the Great Physician to our problems.
INTRODUCTION: There is a balm in Gilead.
1. Read: Jeremiah 8:18-22
2. About the Text:
1) In this scripture, God is talking to Israel about their failure to be saved.
2) Notice, in verse 20, “The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved.”
3) God says that he hurts for the hurt of Israel.
4) Then God asks this question, “Is there no balm in Gilead? Is there no physician there?
5) The answer to God’s question is “YES!”
6) So God asks, “Why then is not the health of the daughter of my people recovered?”
7) The answer is that they were not applying the balm to their problems.
8) This is symbolism.
a. The Balm represents God’s word.
b. The Physician is the one who gives God’s word.
c. The health of God’s people is spiritual health.
d. The application of the balm is what they needed to do.
DISCUSSION: Is there a “balm” today?
I. There is a balm for the sin sick soul–God’s word.
1. Man has a sin problem
1) Romans 3:10 and 23 “As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one.” “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.”
a. Greeks have sinned. Romans 1–Perverted the natural.
b. Jews have sinned. Romans 2–Become Hypocritical.
c. Therefore, all have sinned. Romans 3
2) John says that if we say we have no sin, we
a. Deceive Ourselves–1 John 1:8
b. Make God a liar–1 John 1:10
c. The truth is not in us–1 John 1:8
d. God’s word is not in us–1 John 1:10
3) What are the consequences of Sin? Romans 6:23 Wages of sin are death.
4) Notice this picture of sin as a cruel master. “Sin is regarded as a sovereign who demands the military service of its subjects levies their quota of arms and gives them their soldiers pay of death.” (Lightfoot).
5) Sin is an ugly sore placed upon our souls that will fester and fester until we wash it away.
2. God’s word gives us freedom from sin.
1) John 8:32 “And ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free”
2) John 17:17 “Sanctify them in thy truth; thy word is truth.”
3) Romans 6:17-18 “But thanks be to God, that whereas ye were servants of sin, ye became obedient from the heart to that from of teaching whereunto ye were delivered; and being made free from sin ye became servants of righteousness.”
4) Romans 8:2 “For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.”
3. God’s word supplies us with everything for life and godliness. 2 Peter 1:3 “According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue.”
4. If a doctor prescribes medicine, it is supposed to meet the needs for which it was prescribed. Is there a physician who has prescribed the medicine for the sin sick soul?
II. There is a physician who has prescribed God’s word–Jesus the Christ.
1. Jesus is God’s word.
1) “In the beginning was the word…and the word was made flesh.” (John 1:1,14)
2) He said to the Pharisees, “They that are in health have no need of a physician; but they that are sick. I am not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance” (Luke 5:31, 32).
3) So, he says, “Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn of me for I am meek and lowly in heart and ye shall find rest unto your souls” (Matthew 11:28-30).
4) How do we learn of the Christ? “If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself” (John 7:17).
2. The spiritual water Jesus gives is God’s word.
1) Jesus said, “…Every one that drinketh of this water shall thirst again: but whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall become in him a well of water springing up unto eternal life” John 4:13,14
2) And in the book of revelation, Jesus gives this great invitation “And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And he that heareth let him say, Come. And he that is athirst let him come: he that will let him take the water of life freely” (Rev. 22:17,18).
3. Doctors take the Hippocratic oath upon their graduation of medical school promising to give their patients the best care they can give. How much more shall the great physician give the best care to his patients?
III. There are sin sick souls needing to apply the balm–You and Me
1. In Revelation 3:14-22 Jesus talks to the church at Laodicea.
1) He sees their spiritual poverty, their need for salvation, “Because thou sayest, I am rich, and have gotten riches, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art the wretched one and miserable and poor and blind and naked: I counsel thee to buy of me gold refined by fire, that thou mayest become rich; and white garments, that thou mayest clothe thyself, and that the shame of thy nakedness be not made manifest; and eye salve to anoint thine eyes, that thou mayest see.”
2) Here, The Great Physician is prescribing spiritual medicine to the church.
3) They are to apply this eye-salve, ointment, balm, to their eyes so that they could again see the truth. This ointment is God’s word.
2. James says, “But he who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and so continueth, being not a hearer that forgetteth but a doer that worketh, this man shall be blessed in his doing” (1:25).
1) Notice, a continual comparing of ourselves with God’s word along with a doing attitude brings spiritual blessing.
2) This is how we apply the balm. Compare ourselves with God’s word and do what is right.
3. Jesus himself says, “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.”Matthew 7:21
4. It would be foolish of us to receive the doctor’s prescription and never get it filled.
CONCLUSION: There is still a balm in Gilead–Will you apply it?
1. Are you looking into God’s perfect law every day?
2. Are you applying the balm of Gilead to your life?
3. God’s word is still here.
4. Jesus prescription is still the same.
5. All you need to do is apply it to your life.
6. Will you be willing to do that?
7. If you are a Christian….
8. If you are not a Christian….
1) Hear Romans 10:17
2) Believe Hebrews 11:6
3) Repent Acts 17:30
4) Confess Romans 10:10
5) Be Baptized Acts 2:38, Acts 22:16
9. Remember, a doctor’s prescription can only do us good if we get it filled.