Signs
Pt. 9
I. Introduction
Well, we have arrived . . . the conclusion of this series. However, my sincere prayer is that this will not be the conclusion of your expectation for and seeing of signs in your daily life. This cannot just be another series. This series must become a reality in the life of each of you and in the life of our church.
You will remember last Sunday we began to summarize the lessons or truths that the overall examination of Jesus’ miracles teach us. Let me quickly remind you what we talked about:
1. The blame game keeps us signless. If you see no signs examine your faith rather than accusing or blaming someone else.
2. Use the faith that you have now. Jesus is expecting you to utilize your present level of faith.
3. Be a copycat of the Jesus’ faith rather than trying to mimic His miracles.
4. Leave the church. Let signs become a part of your daily life.
5. Participate in your miracle. Obedience is the key component.
So that is what we talked about last week. I want to once again go back and read the promises on which this series has been based, but I want to read it a little differently today. I am going to read it, but I am going to pause at particular points so that you can insert your name. I want you to get to the place where these passages of Scripture become part of who you are as a believer.
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. ______________ 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; In my name shall _________ cast out devils; ______ shall speak with new tongues; 18______ shall take up serpents; and if ______ drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt ______; ______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.
Now before you get nervous and think we are going to pull out snakes and jugs of poison let me just remind you that one of the greatest signs God produces in our life is COMMON SENSE!
So let’s continue to learn from Jesus’ example.
II. Signs
a. Our demand for explanation will keep us signless.
Please don’t underestimate Jesus’ craziness! I am convinced that the people of His day probably thought He was certifiable. Put yourself in the place of those that experienced signs while Jesus was here. Put yourself in the place of the blind man. He desires to see. Jesus comes along and in preparation to bring sight this blind man, whose hearing is honed to sharpness, hears Jesus gathering spit in His mouth. Put yourself in the place of disciples who need to pay taxes. “Jesus, do you want us to go to the local ATM and make a withdrawal?” “No? You tax payment plan is to go fishing for one fish out of all the fish in the sea?” I think there were some eye rolling, finger spinning moments when Jesus’ life was about to be interrupted by signs. I honestly believe that if they had stopped to demand explanation there would have been no sign!
I have already shared with you one instance regarding signs where the same statement made by two different people is met with different response (Bartimeaus and James and John). Let me share another one with you that speaks to this head/heart struggle. Their brother is dead and has been 4 days. Martha hears Jesus arrives and makes a logical, thought out statement, “If you had been here he would not be dead.” Jesus doesn’t go into tomb raiding action because of this response. Then Mary comes out and says the exact same thing, “If you had been here my brother would not have died.” However, this time the passage says, “And Mary wept.” Then it says, “Jesus was moved deeply.” Jesus goes into resurrection mode, but Martha still needs explanation. Remove the stone? Are you nuts? He will stink. Was He moved by the demand for an explanation? No! He was moved by Mary’s heart hurt.
Our demand for an explanation, in most cases, reveals a lack of faith. I am not saying that we should check our brain at the door. We are to be wise as serpents and harmless as doves. I have already stated that we must use common sense. However, I am also telling you that until we are willing to embrace the uncomfortable we will not experience the supernatural. The simple fact is that if it is supernatural we probably aren’t going to understand everything. If we can figure it out with our own ability and cognitive powers why would we need the supernatural? Uncomfortable and unexplainable, but also unacceptable not to believe for it and expect it to happen! Just because you can’t explain it and figure it out doesn’t mean you can’t believe for it!
b. Jesus is concerned about every area of our lives!
I could be happy if Jesus was just concerned about my spiritual life. I mean take every other type of supernatural experience away and when you get right down to it the spiritual experience is the most needed and valuable. However, the thing that I love about studying Jesus’ sign marked life is that it reveals that He is concerned about every aspect of our lives!
Is He concerned about our spiritual life? Yes, go read the account of the man lowered through the roof. He is absolved of sin.
Is He concerned about our health? That one is easy. Go back and discover the number of times He dealt with physical healing. The powerful thing that you will find is that He was concerned for our health in the severest place of need like leprosy (the cruelest sickness of the day), but He also took time out to deal with simple fever (Peter’s mother-in-law). He cares about the cancer, but is also moved by your cold.
Is He concerned about our finances/provision? Ask those who were hungry and were fed. Ask the disciples whose IRS return smelled like trout.
Is He concerned about our relationships? Go ask the woman with the issue of blood that was cut off from her family. Ask the man with leprosy that couldn’t enter into the temple to worship. Ask the demon possessed man living in the cemetery if the Son of God is concerned about restoring relationships!
There is no area of your life, no matter how deformed, destroyed, painful, embarrassing, or debilitating that Jesus is not only concerned about, but more importantly willing and able to change! Take courage and hope! Jesus knows, cares, and has the answer! Some of you have convinced yourself, or you have been convinced by others, that Jesus doesn’t know or care about your situation. Look at the signs! Hebrew 4 makes it clear . . . “We don't have a priest who is out of touch with our reality.”
c. Signs without salvations aggravate God.
In Matthew 11, we read an interesting account. Listen to Matthew 11:20-24. 20Then Jesus began to denounce the towns in which most of his miracles had been performed, because they did not repent. 21“Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. 22But I tell you, it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you. 23And you, Capernaum, will you be lifted to the heavens? No, you will go down to Hades. For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Sodom, it would have remained to this day. 24But I tell you that it will be more bearable for Sodom on the day of judgment than for you.”
Why is this truth important? If we don’t understand the purpose of signs we will pervert signs! The purpose of signs is to serve as an invitation to salvation.
That is why we cannot and should not keep the testimony of miracles to our selves! The miracles we experience are not about us. You will remember that Jesus releases the disciples to go out and perform miracles and they come back bragging about their power. Jesus refocuses their attention by drawing them back to the fact that the greatest miracle is salvation! He doesn’t deny that they have been used powerfully. He simply points out that the signs aren’t the focus. Salvation is the focus.
We can have a sign show in here every week, but if no one is getting saved because of the signs we have perverted the purpose!
How many times in Scripture does it say that after Jesus worked a miracle that word spread about Him? He would even tell those who were touched not to tell anyone and they just couldn’t keep the miracle to themselves. Then why can we? Has Jesus’ fame been spread because of your testimony?
We have seen 71 individuals come to Christ this year through the various outreach ministries of this church! I will venture that if we are careful to spread the word about the miracles that Jesus has worked in our lives that number would double. If we will keep the focus on Him and not on us, then salvation will be a natural byproduct of the supernatural. Anyone want to be cursed like these cities?
d. Signs are the beginning, not the end.
If you travel to our and stop at the sign that reads welcome to Oklahoma and you never move further than that you have in fact visited Oklahoma. However, you have failed to experience the features, depth, beauty, and other aspects of this state. The same is true with supernatural signs. They are not the end. When we experience a sign we can stop there, but there is so much more to God. I know people who experience a sign and never go any deeper or further with God. They just want to reminisce about the sign, talk about the sign, hope for another sign just like that sign. The signs are simply a jump off point to greater things in God. They begin the conversation. They begin the experience. They are not intended to be the destination or final settling point. I am glad you experienced a sign, but have you moved on deeper in the Word? I am glad you experienced a miracle, but has your faith developed since then? Can you believe Him for something greater or deeper? I am glad you experienced a sign, but have you witnessed more after the sign than you did before the sign! The sign simply points you to a final destination! They point to the fact that you are approaching your destination, but have yet to arrive!
