God Man Miracles

God, Man, & Miracles

I. Introduction

A. We use the term “miracle” very lightly today.

1. It’s a miracle someone made a last minute shot.

2. Miracle Whip, not mayonnaise! It’s all salad dressing to me.

3. Remember the Music City Miracle?

4. We use the phrase, the miracle of medicine/the miracle of childbirth.

5. Just because one man can do a particular thing and another cannot does not make the action or the performer miraculous.

B. Ask 100 people to define miraculous and you’ll get 100 definitions.

1. Dictionary – an event that appears to defy the laws of nature and is attributed to God. Other def.’s refer to our examples in section A above.

2. Theology – pretty much the same as above

3. Greek – “say-mi-on” 4592/SEC which means miracle, wonder, sign and is derived from “say-mah-ee-no” 4591/SEC meaning “indicative of”. JMC Greek-“a great event indicative of God because He is the source of all miracles”.

C. Who doesn’t believe in miracles?

1. Class discussion

a. Is it easy to admit they happened in scripture?

b. What about today?

c. Is this grounded in truth?

1. Yes? Give me some scriptures.

2. No? Give me some scriptures.

2. Here are some world-renowned skeptics.

a. Spinoza: Miracles are violations of natural laws, which are immutable, therefore miracles do not happen. 17th Century

b. Hume: same as Spinoza and goes on to say a wise man bases his belief on evidence. 18th Century (No room for Faith)

c. Kant: if it doesn’t happen in nature, it doesn’t happen. Miracles never happen. 18th Century

d. Flew: nature is repeatable; miracles are not so therefore the proof that miracles happen is far less than that which says they do not.

3. Scriptures state that man can’t match wits with God.

a. Isa. 55: 8-9

b. I Cor. 1: 25, 27-29

c. Rev. 19: 6 & Rev. 21 reveals that God is on His throne and reigning omnipotent.

d. Who do we sound more like Believers or Skeptics?

II. Body

A. What was the purpose of miracles?

1. To prove that God was all-powerful.

a. Look at Moses and the plagues, the Red Sea, the rock

b. Look at Elijah & the prophets of Baal in I Kings 18.

c. Look at Mk. 1: 21-28, Lk. 8: 28-39, Mt. 16: 14-23

2. To prove that God was a God of compassion.

a. The deaf, blind, leprous, dead were all helped.

b. God does great things for men and has since the beginning of the world.

c. Does God heal today? What about Jas. 4: 14-16?

1. If we believe this how can we not believe that God doesn’t have a hand in our lives today?

2. Not any of this is coincidence in my way of thinking but aren’t we tempted to pass it off as coincidence

3. There are those who truly believe in God but handcuff Him to heaven. Same goes for the Holy Spirit.

B. Have miracles ceased?

1. Yes as far as man’s involvement is concerned.

a. There is no longer a need for validation. We have undeniable proof that Christ does exist and is on the right hand of God as we speak.

b. God wants us to carry the message to others (Mk. 16: 16) but He wants the Holy Spirit to convict us.

1. I Cor. 13: 8

2. We should also be proof to others that Christ is alive and working in our world and individual lives. Jo. 20: 30-31

c. Most believe that the ability to perform miracles ceased after the

72, the Apostles and those they laid hands on passed away.

Lk. 10: 1-23.

2. No

a. Go to Acts 12 where Peter and James are in prison.

1. God did this and used an angel, how does this verify Christ

when He was already resurrected and with God?

2. None of the Apostles caused it.

3. What is the difference between that day and today?

4. Just because God helps someone and not another doesn’t mean that He is a respecter of persons; He knows what we need. Why did James die and Peter was miraculously saved?

b. How about Ananias & Sapphira in Acts 5?

1. Can we in good faith attribute both their deaths to fate or coincidence?

2. Can we actually call it providence?

3. Many seem to be inconsistent in this area

a. We are not limiting Him but He has limited himself to His word

in the spiritual realm and His laws of nature in the physical realm (Gen. 1; I Cor. 13:8-10; Jude 3). All things began by a miracle and all things continue by law.

b. Is this true or double talk?

1. Rom. 9 speaks of God’s sovereign privilege to show mercy to whom He chooses and harden whom He chooses.