The Power of Believing
Acts 28:1-10; Mark 16:9-20
September 29, 2002
Intro:
A. [J. David Hoke, Pastor of New Horizons Community Church, in Vorhees, N.J.]
The Age of Enlightenment brought us to a place where we greatly esteem reason and intellect.
Logic is important to us.
And we like to consider ourselves rational people.
Unfortunately, rationalism has given way to skepticism in so many.
It has become hard for some to put faith in anything or anyone.
Institutions have promised so much, and they have let us down.
We’ve had faith in government and government has let us down.
We’ve trusted people, and people have let us down.
It’s easy not to believe any more. “I’ll believe it when I see it," you may say.
"Seeing is believing," goes the old adage.
But it may be too late when you discover that in some things believing must come before seeing.
"Believing is seeing," becomes the new reality for the one who would enter the spiritual dimension of faith.
Jesus’ resurrection is one event in which both the elements of seeing and believing come together.
His resurrection was verified by the eyewitness testimony of hundreds in His day.
But now, we believe it by faith.
It is faith, which has a foundation in fact, to be sure.
But it is faith, nonetheless.
The Scripture says, "We walk by faith and not by sight."
It is really only by faith that our blind eyes can be opened so that we can truly see.
B. Today in Acts 28, I want to explore another facet of the link between the resurrection and faith.
I. Acts 28:1-10
A. Snakes
Acts 28:1-6 (NIV), Once safely on shore, we found out that the island was called Malta. 2 The islanders showed us unusual kindness. They built a fire and welcomed us all because it was raining and cold. 3 Paul gathered a pile of brushwood and, as he put it on the fire, a viper, driven out by the heat, fastened itself on his hand. 4 When the islanders saw the snake hanging from his hand, they said to each other, "This man must be a murderer; for though he escaped from the sea, Justice has not allowed him to live." 5 But Paul shook the snake off into the fire and suffered no ill effects. 6 The people expected him to swell up or suddenly fall dead, but after waiting a long time and seeing nothing unusual happen to him, they changed their minds and said he was a god.
1. This is an interesting story that Luke tells about their time on the island of Malta.
2. Paul is under arrest and they are sailing to Rome.
3. They had encountered a terrible storm and were actually shipwrecked on Malta.
4. Luke says that once they were safely on shore, they found out they were on the island of Malta.
5. Luke says the islanders were unusually kind to them.
6. They were building a fire and Paul was helping.
7. Paul picked up a pile of sticks and there was a viper in it.
8. Paul threw the pile of wood on the fire and of course the snake didn’t take to kindly to the fire.
9. The snake hightailed it back out of the fire and latched on to Paul’s hand.
10. The islanders saw this and superstitiously responded saying that Paul must be a murderer because even though he had escaped the storm at sea some god of justice was not going to allow him to live.
11. They were convinced that Paul would not escape death this time.
12. But Paul shook the snake back off into the fire and suffered no ill effects.
13. Even though the people expected to see him swell up and suddenly fall dead, nothing unusual happened to him.
14. After waiting a long time and seeing that nothing happened to Paul even though a snake had bitten him, they changed their minds and decided he was a god.
B. Healings
Acts 28:7-10 (NIV), There was an estate nearby that belonged to Publius, the chief official of the island. He welcomed us to his home and for three days entertained us hospitably. 8 His father was sick in bed, suffering from fever and dysentery. Paul went in to see him and, after prayer, placed his hands on him and healed him. 9 When this had happened, the rest of the sick on the island came and were cured. 10 They honored us in many ways and when we were ready to sail, they furnished us with the supplies we needed.
1. Now Luke says that in addition to the snakes, there were also healings.
2. There was a politician on the island named Publius whose father had fallen sick with fever and dysentery.
3. Luke says Paul went in to see the man, prayed for him, placed his hands on him, and healed him.
4. Of course, word spread quickly about this and many others came to see Paul and were healed as well.
5. After three months, they continued on their way to Rome on another ship
C. So what are we to make of these stories that Luke tells us?
1. There is much debate as to exactly why there are so many stories about what we have come to call miraculous things.
2. Are these things here simply as historical stories and have no relevance for us today?
3. Were these simply historic stories that should only be expected then and not today?
4. Why did the HS include all of these various accounts of miraculous events throughout the Gospels and the NT and actually in the OT as well?
5. Christ had some important things to say in Mark 16, that I believe will help us to make some sense of this question.
Transition:
1. Now as you turn there, I want to say some things about this passage.
2. There has been quite a bit of controversy as to whether or not Mark actually wrote the latter portion of this passage.
3. Two of the oldest manuscripts do not continue verses 9-20, however there are many, many that do.
4. There is little disagreement as to the events in this book because they are documented in other places in the NT.
5. In the second century there are many accounts of the church fathers quoting from this passage just like they did any other passage.
6. So there is little disagreement as the authenticity of the passage, just whether or not Mark wrote it.
7. So let’s look at what it tells us…
II. Mark 16:9-20
A. Believe it!
Mark 16:9-14 (NIV), When Jesus rose early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had driven seven demons. 10 She went and told those who had been with him and who were mourning and weeping. 11 When they heard that Jesus was alive and that she had seen him, they did not believe it. 12 Afterward Jesus appeared in a different form to two of them while they were walking in the country. 13 These returned and reported it to the rest; but they did not believe them either. 14 Later Jesus appeared to the Eleven as they were eating; he rebuked them for their lack of faith and their stubborn refusal to believe those who had seen him after he had risen.
1. First Luke says that after the resurrection, Christ appeared to Mary Magdalene.
a. After Christ appeared to here, she reported back to the others.
b. However, when she told the others that she had seen the resurrected Christ, they did not believe it.
2. Second, Luke says that after the resurrection, Christ appeared to two of them (probably on the road to Emmaus).
a. The two returned to the rest and reported what they had seen.
b. However, when they told the others that they had seen the resurrected Christ, they did not believe them either.
3. Later Luke says that Christ appeared to the Eleven while they were eating.
a. When Christ appeared to them in person, they had to believe.
b. And Luke says that Christ rebuked them for their lack of faith.
c. Luke says that Christ rebuked them for their stubborn refusal to believe those who had seen Him resurrected.
d. Question: Why didn’t Christ just appear to the Eleven first so they wouldn’t be tempted to doubt?
e. Answer: Christ wanted them to learn to believe and have faith even without seeing.
f. Which actually is the Bible’s definition of faith that is recorded in Hebrews 11:1 (NIV), Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.
g. Christ was testing their faith.
h. Christ wanted them to believe even though they did not see.
4. How did Christ expect the disciples to respond to the resurrection?
a. First, he expected them to believe it before they saw it.
b. And, of course that is what he asks us to do is well.
c. Christ asks us to believe it before we see.
d. Christ asks us to believe the resurrection even though we have yet to see the resurrected Christ; second…
B. Share it!
Mark 16:15-16 (NIV), He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation. 16 Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.
1. After Christ asked the believers to believe the resurrection, He asked them to share it.
2. This is Mark’s account of what we refer to as the Great Commission.
a. We usually quote Matthew’s account of it.
b. But Matthew isn’t the only one who recorded this event.
c. Luke has another account of it in the first chapter of Acts.
3. After Christ asked them to believe the resurrection, He told them to go all over the world preaching it.
a. After Christ asked them to believe the resurrection, He told them to preach it to others and baptize them.
b. After Christ asked them to believe the resurrection themselves, He told them to share it with others.
4. And that is what He asks us to do us well.
a. This is one of the top priorities of the church.
b. Of course there are many who even though they claim to believe the resurrection, refuse to share it with others.
c. There are those who say they believe the resurrection, but just want to show up for church every week and be left alone.
d. There are those who say they believe in the resurrection, but just don’t seem to believe it enough to tell anyone else about it.
e. There are those who say they believe in the resurrection, but think that their job is simply to sit in judgment of those who do and criticize them if they don’t do it just the way they want it done.
f. There are those who say they believe in the resurrection, but just want to keep it to themselves.
g. And I believe Christ would respond to them the same way that He responded here.
h. I believe that Christ would rebuke them for their stubborn refusal to share the resurrection.
i. I believe Christ would rebuke them for their lack of faith—because that is exactly what failure to share the gospel is: a lack of faith.
j. Christ has called us to share the good news of the resurrection.
5. And friends, it only stands to reason that if we truly believe the resurrection, we will share it!
a. If we truly believe the resurrection, our attitude will be just like Peter and John who said they just couldn’t help but share the gospel with others!
b. If we truly believe the resurrection, we will want others to know what we know.
c. Christ asks us to believe the resurrection, share the resurrection, and…
C. Release it!
Mark 16:17-20 (NIV), And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; 18 they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well." 19 After the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, he was taken up into heaven and he sat at the right hand of God. 20 Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed his word by the signs that accompanied it.
1. Now notice that Christ is saying that these signs will follow those who believe.
a. What are the signs that Christ said would follow believers?
b. They would be able to drive out demons in Jesus name.
c. They would speak in other tongues.
d. They would pick up snakes and suffer no harm.
e. They would drink deadly poison and it would not hurt them at all.
f. They would place their hands on sick people and they would get well.
2. Does Christ mean that every believer should do all of these things?
a. Does Christ mean that every believer will be able to drive out demons, speak in tongues, drink poison, and heal the sick?
b. Does this mean that we should use snakes in the worship service?
c. Is that what Christ was saying?
d. I don’t believe so, because the apostle Paul didn’t say it that way.
e. The apostle Paul taught about these things in 1 Corinthians 12-14, Romans 12, and Ephesians 4.
f. There he teaches that different believers will have different gifts, but all believers will have some of the gifts.
g. Paul taught that not everyone spoke in tongues or healed, but some do, and everyone who believes has some type of gift.
h. So what Christ was saying was that we would see these things in the church at large.
i. Christ was saying that if there were believers in the resurrection, these things would be present.
j. What Christ was saying was that if people truly believe in the resurrection of Christ, we will see some people in the church who will drive out demons, we will see some who will speak in tongues, we will see some who will have an immunity to snakes and poison, we will see some who will have the gift of healing.
k. What Christ was saying was that if people truly believe in the resurrection, we would see resurrection power in them.
3. SO…why do we see so many churches where we don’t see these signs following after them?
a. Matthew 13:58 (NIV), And he did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith.
b. Christ could have done all the miracles in Nazareth that He wanted to, but he didn’t because of their lack of faith.
c. Christ chose not to do many miracles because of their lack of faith.
d. If we want to see these types of things follow after us, we have to believe it!
e. Christ will not do many miracles amongst us if we don’t believe it!
f. Christ wants us to believe that the same power that raised Him from the dead is still as powerful today!
g. Christ wants us to believe that the power that raised Christ from the dead is not extinguished!
h. There is a way, though, that it can be extinguished.
i. We can extinguish it ourselves.
j. We have the power to extinguish the power of the HS.
k. 1 Thessalonians 5:19 (KJV), Quench not the Spirit.
l. The word “quench” means to extinguish or put out.
m. The NIV says it this way: 1 Thessalonians 5:19, Do not put out the Spirit’s fire;
n. Humans have the power to put out the fire of the HS!
o. And that is exactly what the people of Nazareth did and that is what too many churches are doing today!
p. But Christ asks us to believe and release that same resurrection power to work in us!
4. [J. David Hoke, Pastor of New Horizons Community Church, in Vorhees, N.J.]
(I should point out at this time that even though the name of Pastor Hoke’s church is “New Horizons Community Church,” they are actually Southern Baptist.)
This has been a troubling passage for many.
I suppose some of the impetus for not wanting to admit verses 9 through 20 is to get rid of this passage.
In my reading an study for this services on Mark, I came across one two-volume set of sermons by an expository preacher which dealt with every passage in the book of Mark, but ended with verse 8 without explanation.
At first I was disappointed.
But then I thought that he might not have wanted to deal with these signs.
Maybe he just chickened out.
There has been some reluctance, in evangelical circles, to admit that there may be more than we have experienced in Jesus.
With the advent of Pentacostalism and Neo-Pentacostalism, also known as the Charismatic movement, evangelicals have had to struggle with their own Christian experience.
This struggle has produced some controversy at times.
Some have dealt with it by writing books explaining how the gifts of the Spirit ceased with the death of the Apostles or with the formation of the canon of Scripture.
But many of these arguments are themselves convoluted twistings of Scripture that would not otherwise be used to interpret the plain meaning of Scripture.
Through inference and a one-sided reading of history, the elaborate fabric of their case against certain gifts is woven.
But mind you, it is only certain gifts with which they have problems: primarily the gift of speaking in tongues.
Some gifts, like the gifts of wisdom and knowledge, they would like to keep.
The gifts of inspired preaching, as well as the many others listed in Romans 12 and 1 Corinthians 12 they would like to keep.
But it seems to me you cannot have it both ways.
I believe it is best summed up by Michael Green, the Oxford-educated English theologian, who may be best know in evangelical circles for his work, Evangelism in the Early Church.
He writes, in one of his books, "Both Catholic and Protestant camps have been heavily infected by the rationalism of the Enlightenment, and our Christianity has been unduly cerebral (hence, its appeal to the educated only).
If the Corinthians were inclined to identify the work of the Spirit with the abnormal, we tend to make the opposite mistake and suppose that He can only manifest Himself in moral renewal, spiritual illumination, and through either Bible or sacraments according to our theological reference!
This attitude, however, is mere escapism from exposing ourselves to the Spirit’s powerful lift.
He remains the spirit of wind and fire; He remains sovereign in the Church and is not to be boxed up in any ecclesiastical compartment."
The truth is: many are simply afraid that if they surrender to the power of the Holy Spirit, He is going to make them do something, which is beneath their so-called dignity.
We are afraid we might become "Charismatic."
But I object to the term being used to refer to those who seem to emphasize only one of the gifts of the Spirit, namely the gift of tongues.
The words, "Charismatic," means "gifts of grace" or "grace gifted."
All Christians are Charismatic, whether they speak in tongues or not.
Whatever gift God has given you, whether it be the gift of administration, or the gift of discernment, or the gift of helps, or the gift of giving, or the gift of hospitality, or the gift of wisdom, it is to be used as a gift of grace.
These are not natural gifts of which I speak, but are supernatural enduments by the Holy Spirit.
They give you power to live out your Christian life and to minister in Jesus’ name.
5. Do you see what Christ is asking us to do in this passage?
a. Do you see what Christ is asking us to do with the resurrection in this passage?
b. Christ is asking us to believe it; He’s asking us to share it; and He’s asking us to release it.
c. And I pray that Somerset will be a church that will believe, share, and release the power of the resurrection!
d. I pray that we will be the kind of church that Jesus describes; I pray that these signs will follow after us because we have believed in the resurrection!
e. The good news is that when we believe the resurrection, we receive power: power to have our sins forgiven, power to have our lives changed and power to live supernaturally!
Conclusion:
A. Christ is telling us that believing is seeing—Do you believe? Do you see? Have you received power from on high?
B. What response do you need to make to Christ today?
1. Perhaps you realize today that you have not believed in the POWER of the resurrection.
2. Do you need to come and confess your unbelief and tell God that you need the power of the resurrection in your life?
3. There are some here today that are still REFUSING to accept what God is saying to us.
4. How long will you continue to rebel against God?
5. Some of you haven’t even made Jesus the Lord of your life yet; you need to do that today!
6. Whatever response you need to make to Christ today, you do it as we stand and sing, “Spirit of the Living God.”
