Signs
Pt. 8
I. Introduction
This will make week 8 of our discussion about signs. I have been praying that this constant and extended emphasis and examination of the miracles that were a supernatural invasion of the natural life of Jesus would cause us to want to want to live up to His example.
Each of Jesus’ miracles reveals lessons and principles that teach us. However, we can’t take time to teach on every miracle. So what I want to do is take the next 2 weeks and do some summary and broader lessons that we can learn from the entire collection of Jesus’ miracles.
Let’s go back and revisit the promises that Jesus made us regarding signs.
Text: John 14:11-14
11Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the miracles themselves. 12I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. 13And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. 14You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.
Mark 16:14-20
14Afterward he appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen him after he was risen. 15And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. 16He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. 17And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; 18They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover. 19So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God. 20And they went forth, and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen.
II. Signs
a. The blame game keeps us signless.
We want to blame lack of miracles on structured services, style of certain churches, pastors, prayer teams, or any number of other things or people. However, when you become honest about it and boil it down to truth our lack of signs is a direct result of our lack of faith! We have allowed our faith to become so weak and in some cases nonexistent that we really don’t believe that God can do what He has not only said He would do, but promised and declared would be a matter of fact for us (like healing, provision)! We would rather blame others and try to get ourselves off the hook! If you aren’t seeing signs following you it isn’t my fault or anyone else’s fault. Others may partner for your miracle, but your faith is your faith. What you see is a direct reflection of your faith! We have allowed apathy to make our faith so anemic that signs are lost! Where is your faith?
b. Use the faith you have now!
Jesus had an interaction with Peter that, although included no miracle, certainly teaches us about believing for miracles. Peter speaks to Jesus and tells Him that he will follow Him anywhere. Jesus replies that where He is going Peter cannot go right NOW, but you will follow Me there one day.
Peter didn’t lack faith. He had enough faith to leave everything and follow Jesus to this point. Peter just wasn’t ready to follow Jesus everywhere. Not at that moment. You’re not ready to follow Jesus everywhere either. Not at this moment. There are places in your life where your faith is still lacking. There are moments where you still struggle. And here’s the truth: Jesus isn’t expecting you not to struggle.
I think that at times we are like Peter and we overestimate our own faith. We try to act more spiritual and more believing than we really are as if we can fool ourselves and others into thinking we are super Christians. However, I think our bigger problem is that we underestimate the grace and patience of Jesus for our lack of faith even more. Jesus expects you to exercise the faith that you have, not the faith that you still have to develop. That is why the man had it perfectly right when he said, “I believe (I am operating on the faith I do have), help my unbelief (I recognize there is still room for growth in my faith)!
Practice the measure of faith that you have. Follow Jesus where you can. But know that His grace covers you when you can’t and He is patient with you while you are developing the faith to follow Him where you can’t go right now. That should ease some of your minds right now! Some of you can’t believe for a sign right now! That’s OK! Jesus isn’t worried or mad! He will just work on your faith level and grow you to where you can!
c. Be a copycat.
Imitate the faith of the disciples rather than trying to mimic their miracles. We come off as fake if we try to mimic the miracles of others. However, if we could learn to imitate their faith we would see signs. Our desire for a formula causes us to try to copycat how and what they did. We see someone used to work signs and we try to pray just like them, hold our hands just like them, and gesture just like them. I have even seen folks dress like someone whose life or ministry was marked by a sign. However, not only are you different, but your circumstance is different! Joshua learned this lesson. God moved one time in a particular manner and he tried to force God into that mold and instead they were defeated at Ai. God is not confined or committed to our methods. Our methods may need to change. What cannot change is our faith cannot! It is their faith that is worth imitating and replicating. He may not do it the way they did it, but He will do it!
d. Leave the church!
I know you didn’t expect to come to church this morning and hear a pastor tell you to leave the church! Notice I said “Leave the church not quit the church!” I want to encourage you to leave the church because it is very apparent from the study of Jesus’ miracles that He did most of His miracles outside of church.
Why are you waiting for Sunday to see your miracle? Don’t limit Him to your church! The greatest witnessing tool in the world is the miracle that takes place in your daily walk. If we see no miracles outside these 4 walls then we are greedy! If we regulate miracles to the friendly confines of this building, then what are you going to do when you need a miracle or someone around you needs a miracle on a Monday? Our church life has to invade our work life. Our church life has to invade our home life. Our church life has to bleed over into our daily life! I long to see the day when we pray for folks inside the building and they get healed. However, hear me very carefully, I will trade that and be happy, if instead we begin to signs every day. The impact of that will be much broader and more city changing, people changing, atmosphere changing than having a hundred miracles take place in a isolated service in out of view room!
I am releasing you to see signs daily! I am challenging you to believe for and expect signs to be a part of your natural, every day, run of the mill life! I expel you from only expecting for a supernatural service. I commission you to live a supernatural life!
e. Participation is usually not optional!
If you go back and examine most of Jesus’ miracles the one receiving the miracle was required to participate or become active for the miracle. Our problem is that too many of us just want to sit back and do nothing and yet we are expecting God to do all the hard work. Our attitude is usually, “God, I have made all these bad choices and decisions and rather than trying to correct them on my own or change my lifestyle, mindset, or appetites I would like for You to just come and bail me out! I don’t want to participate or change anything!” I think if we were more proactive in participating and making preparation for a miracle by doing the simple things like changing what we have done wrong, stopping certain cycles in our life, then we would be more likely to see signs!
The truth is that most of the miracles that people received from Jesus were the direct result of participating with a simple act of obedience. Nothing profound . . . small lunch given, water poured into pots, casting net on other side, roll away the stone, a short walk out of the village. However, active obedience leads to signs.
Work for your miracle! Put works to your faith! Begin doing now what it would take to be able to keep a miracle before you get the miracle.
Give God a preview! Worship now like you would worship if He comes through. Give the percentage now that you would give if He dealt with all of your debt. Testify now like you would if He had already worked on your behalf! Participate in your miracle! Fight off laziness that tries to get you to sit back and hope for a sign one day. Obey by doing what you know He has said to do and see if you don’t see a sign! Give now. Serve now. Worship now. Unyoke now.
While you are waiting on a sign God is waiting on a sign. He is waiting on a sign of obedience! The harsh truth about signs is that many of us would have already had a miracle if we would have already obeyed!
