EVIL DISEASE

sermon 2. EVIL DISEASE

A sermon preached by Fortune Nwaiwu on 23/12/2018

“A man to whom God hath given riches, wealth, and honor, so that he wanteth nothing for his soul of all that he desireth, yet God giveth him not power to eat thereof, but a stranger eateth it, this is vanity, and it is an evil disease,’─ Ecclesiastes 6:2 KJV.

Brethren, as we are all here this hour, I want you to know that the diseases people suffer from are not only HIV/AIDS, diabetes, typhoid and malaria or any other infections either curable or incurable. Our today’s homily will point out some areas that will enable us know the kind of diseases that have infected many people which most of medical doctors have not discovered but they fail to research in the scriptures as the anchor of their professions.

King Solomon, the preacher discovers the most grievous affliction of human beings, a man blessed with riches, wealth and honor which have made him to lack nothing did not utilize his blessings in the fear of God. Perhaps, he did not take care of his relations, orphans, or widows. He became cruel to people, unfriendly or stingy. Since God had given him riches and honor, and the man failed to acknowledge his maker, God then withheld the power from him to eat the fruit of his labor. All his wealth and riches are then consumed by another person or a stranger. This sickening tragedy is called an evil disease. We present below outlines of evil disease under discourse.

The sickening tragedy of a man’s wealth consumed by a stranger, such a man suffers from an evil disease ─ Ecclesiastes 6:2. Abraham fears about this deadly infection. He does not want to be infected with this disease that is why when God in a vision was telling him not to be afraid that his reward will be great, he replies: “O Sovereign LORD, what good are all your blessings when I don’t even have a son? Since you have given me no children, Eliezer of Damascus, a servant in my household, will inherit all my wealth”─ Gen. 15:2. God assures Abraham that this disease will not touch him, a stranger will not consume his wealth, and he believes it. I speak to you right now, if you are in this terrible condition, God is healing you now, no stranger will consume your wealth. You’ll have your own children.

The sickening tragedy of desertion: There is a family I know, a man labored to train his children believing that in his old age, his children will look after him since his wife divorced him leaving him with three children. As the man grew old and could not fend for himself, his children abandoned him. He later died and there was no descent burial for him. This is an evil disease of desertion, and Scripture says, “It would have been better for him to be born dead… he would have had peace than growing to be unhappy man”─ Eccl. 6:3, 4. There have been people abandoned by relations or friends at a moment of despair, some abandoned in hospitals or in labor rooms. I remember a time I visited one clinic, I saw a woman carrying a new born baby boy with distorted face which revealed her agony and magnitude of her degradation and abandonment. When I asked her about her problem, she was speechless but could only stare her gaze on me. “It’s well,” I said. A patient told me that her husband dumped her in the clinic and left. And no one could contact him via mobile phone. He left his wife in the clinic, until the lady’s mother gathered money to pay the bill and took her daughter home. The man’s action revealed that his relationship with the woman has ended, and he’s infected her with a disease of desertion and subjected her to suffering and psychological pain.

The sickening tragedy of unrepented heart: People who fail to repent are sick, and will be cured when they turn to God. An unrepented heart is a heart that does not know Christ, a heart soiled with iniquities, and all manners of impurities. In the gospel book of John 5, Christ encounters a sick man who has been paralyzed for 38 years. He shows pity on him, the man is healed without knowing who Christ is. The question is, how will you believe on someone you know not? That means, the man healed has not yet believed in Christ but is leaving under a divine mercy. A few days later, Christ finds him in the temple and tells him: “Now you are well; so stop sinning, or something even worse may happen to you”─ John 5:14. The worse that would happen to him is that evil disease that has no cure like AIDS. What is that sin in you which perhaps you want to stop and repent but a force is hindering you from repenting, I pray that the Spirit of the Lord will help you to overcome it right now. Repent so that the worse you fear will not happen to you.

The sickening tragedy of stealing: This evil disease can be hereditary, inherited from parents or contracted through an evil communication or relationship. This disease leaves man with indelible scars, an unforgettable character defamation that will live in the memory of people from generation to generation. It has no cure, but the patient or the victim if repented can live under the mercy of God. Heaven will forget about it, but will the people here on earth forget about it? It may be impossible. Paul pleads, “If you’re a thief, quit stealing. Instead use your hands for good hard work, and then give generously to others in need”─ Eph. 4:28. This grievous disease of stealing affected those two criminals by the sides of Jesus Christ on the Cross. One repented and he received a cure, while the other suffered for it for he failed to repent. Do you know that this disease of stealing can stop you from entering to God’s paradise?

The sickening tragedy of abuse of honor: Some people are not worthy, when they are given a privilege to keep money, they squander it without considering the honor vested on them. A man was given #500,000.00 by his boss to keep, but he embezzled it. His boss would ask for the money, and the man would give excuses, and no attempt was made to return the money. His boss forgot about the money, until another opportunity came, a contract worth of millions of naira came up, the man realized his last deal with his employee, and he gave the contract to another man. Since then, the man’s boss doesn’t place him anymore in a financial office, because the little privilege given to him was abused. The scripture says, “If you are faithful in little things, you will be faithful in large ones. But if you are dishonest in little things, you won’t be honest with greater responsibilities”─ Luke 16:10. We see that once we abuse our honor, it become unredeemable, you cannot regain it anymore. It’ll stop you from attaining some prominent positions. Then you suffer the disease of deprivation because of your debauched manner. 

Brethren, let us run away for these deadly diseases by refraining from sin. Are you suffering from the disease of telling lies, prostitution, kidnapping, slandering, greed, or hatred? Will you stop it today and give your life to Christ, he is a great physician, and he’s able to cure you now. May God bless you.