Every preacher has heard many varieties of this same question: “Why don’t we see miracles today like they saw in the Bible?”
It’s a good question, especially since Jesus promised in John 14:12 that we could do greater things than those which He had done.
Well, low and behold, the disciples we’re asking the same question even while Jesus was still with them. “Why Couldn’t we do it?”
So this morning we’re going to look at that question and the answer in hopes of understanding not only why we don’t but how we can experience the miraculous.
The first key is found in the question itself which points to…
Misplaced Priorities
19Then the disciples came to Jesus in private and asked, "Why couldn’t we drive it out?"
The question itself points us to the first problem that the disciples had. Their focus was on themselves—what should we have done different. It’s almost as if they’re asking what ingredient in the magic spell was missing.
They’d been watching Jesus work miracles for some time now. They’d learned the tricks of the trade, I imagine. I don’t know what all they did in attempt to cast out the demon and heal the boy, but in a couple of the most recent healing episodes recorded in the gospels Jesus spit on the eyes of a blind man and on the ears and tongue of a deaf mute.
I think we often fall into the same trap of misplaced priorities, of self centered miracle seeking, of believing that there ought to be something we can do to engineer a miracle.
Go into a Christian Bookstore and browse the titles. You’ll be amazed at the number that imply a “How to method” for Church Growth or personal fulfillment or healing or spiritual growth.
We Pentecostals know how to do church—how to plan a service for maximum emotional impact—dare I say how to work the anointing—I heard a preacher say that he was counseled to “conserve his anointing” meaning he should wait a little longer before shouting.
Not that there’s anything wrong with a service that engages the emotions—God created us as emotion-driven beings and he desires to engage us on an emotional as well as an intellectual level.
The mistake is believing that a formula is the key—or on a more basic level to believe that it’s all about me. The Bible itself plainly gives us instruction “HOW TO” live our lives, but we must never forget the correct ordering of our priorities—That it’s all about Jesus!
A young preacher just starting out his ministry in the mid 1950’s was called to the home of one of the families in his church in a small town in Iowa. There he was called upon to pray for an infant with a growth on his neck. The tumor had grown so large that it had begun to push the baby’s head to one side and they had asked the pastor to come because they were taking the baby to the doctor the next day to see what had to be done. As he reached out to lay his hand upon the growth the preacher realized these people were looking to him as the man of God—they weren’t looking for a simple blessing that all would go well at the doctor’s they were looking for a miracle. Suddenly the young preacher felt the crushing weight of his own inadequacy and as he placed his hand on the baby’s neck he began to weep and he couldn’t say a single word but “Jesus.” As the tears fell he felt the growth under his hand begin to diminish in size and finally disappear altogether. And in that little house that preacher that I call “Dad” learned that it wasn’t about him, it’s all about Jesus.
When the disciples come to Jesus to ask why their methods failed he makes it clear it’s not about them because He pinpoints the problem as their…
Faltering Faith
20He replied, "Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ’Move from here to there’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”
Faith is what we have when we realize it’s not about us, but all about him. Faith is recognizing our inability to do anything and our total reliance upon Him.
I want you to take note of the fact that Jesus doesn’t emphasize how much faith you need to have—he doesn’t say faith the size of a mountain—He emphasizes how little faith God can work with—again emphasizing that it’s not about us but about trusting him. Because you see even a little bit of faith is recognizing it’s out of my hands—but faith goes beyond helplessness to reaching out to the one who can help.
But what If I can’t do that? Well, then you can ask him to help your faith as the father of the boy in our story did. It’s not recorded in matthew’s account but Mark’s gospel records that Jesus said to the father “all things are possible if you believe.” To which the father responds “Lord, I do believe—help me overcome my unbelief.”
When we will do that I believe that he is able to give us a gift of faith that helps us see through His eyes what he intends to do.
Joseph Castleberry and his family were missionaries to Ecudor in 1998. Because of financial setbacks they were living month to month. Finally a month came when after paying bills on payday, there was no money left—plus there was an electric bill which had to be paid by the next day and there was enough gas to go to town one more time. His wife Kathleen asked what would they do. He said they would drive to town and go to the post office and there would be a check for $1000 in the box. He went in and began to shout when he saw a letter in the box. It contained nothing but a check for $1000. From that day on they never faced another financial crisis the entire time they were on the field.
A miracle, the result of faith, but the faith itself a gift from God (Joseph Castleberry “Faith, Miracles and Gifts of Healings” in James Bridges “Pentecostal Gofts and Ministries in a Postmodern Era,” Gospel Publishing House, 2004)
Why don’t we see miracles? We trust in ourselves too much and God not enough. Why is that? because we have a…
Shortage of Prayer
Mark 9:29 He replied, “This kind can come out only by prayer.”
Prayer is the key to faith. When Jesus says this I don’t think He’s talking about prayer just at the moment. I’m sure that’s one of the things the disciples tried. He’s talking about prayer as a lifestyle.
We’d all like to be able to operate in faith and power when a crisis comes, but few of us are willing to live the life keeps us in a state of Spiritual preparedness.
Jesus didn’t just pray when a crisis came. Jesus lived prayer. Jesus gave up meals to pray. Jesus gave up sleep to pray. Jesus left the crowds and opportunities to do ministry to pray.
How many have ever gotten somewhere and wished you’d come prepared? Yesterday, I ordered Hot dogs for myself and Aaron and opened an empty wallet—the time came to pay and I didn’t have what I needed. I think a lot of the circumstances of our lives are like that and it’s why we don’t see miracles more often—We aren’t prayed up and ready
Things looked bleak for the children of George Muller’s orphanage at Ashley Downs in 19th century England. It was time for breakfast, and there was no food. A small girl whose father was a close friend of Muller was visiting in the home. Muller took her hand and said, "Come and see what our Father will do." In the dining room, long tables were set with empty plates and empty mugs. Not only was there no food in the kitchen, but there was no money in the home’s account. Muller prayed, "Dear Father, we thank You for what You are going to give us to eat." Immediately, they heard a knock at the door. When they opened it, there stood the local baker. "Mr. Muller," he said, "I couldn’t sleep last night. Somehow I felt you had no bread for breakfast, so I got up at 2 o’clock and baked fresh bread. Here it is." Muller thanked him and gave praise to God. Soon, a second knock was heard. It was the milkman. His cart had broken down in front of the orphanage. He said he would like to give the children the milk so he could empty the cart and repair it.
We could spend hours recounting similar stories from the life of George Muller, in his own lifetime he was renowned as a man whose prayers could move mountains. He steadfastly refused to ever ask supporters for money declaring instead his intention to allow God to supply the needs of the four orphanages he ran only through prayer. When asked how much time he spent in prayer by some hoping to learn his secret, George Muller’s reply was, "Hours every day. But I live in the spirit of prayer. I pray as I walk and when I lie down and when I arise. And the answers are always coming."
The great preacher and pastor of Chicago’s famous Moody Church, A.C. Dixon declared, "When we rely upon organization, we get what organization can do; when we rely upon education, we get what education can do; when we rely upon eloquence, we get what eloquence can do, and so on. Nor am I disposed to undervalue any of these things in their proper place, but when we rely upon prayer, we get what God can do."
A lifestyle of prayer is a lifestyle of Miracles.
