If we see all these miracles in Scripture, why don't we see them all the time here and now? From Sept. 13th 2020
“Do miracles still happen today?”
For the past two months, we have been spending time talking about the Miracles of Christ.
We looked at all the different things He did
The sick being healed
The deaf getting their hearing back
The blind getting their sight back
The paralyzed being made whole
Walking on water
Calming storms
Feeding 10s of thousands of people
And even bringing dead people back to life
Weve benn talking about all the different areas of life that these miracles speak to
When the sick are made well...Jesus is conquering disease
When the unclean are made clean….He is conquering culture
He conquered nature
And He even conquered death
All the different miracles He performed, were Him telling everyone…….that He has authority and power and we should listen to His words and apply them to our life.
Because that is what miracles are.
In fact, when we read about these miracles in Scripture, the words used to describe them, are “signs & wonders”
And as we all know, signs point to something.
They inform the reader of information that they didnt have prior to seeing the sign.
Before I go any further, I would like to read a few verses here, and open in prayer.
John 3:1-2
Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling council. 2 He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him.”
( → → Opening Prayer ← ← )
The signs and wonders that Jesus performed, proved the authority of His words.
That is what Nicodemus is referring to here
But….the way we have been going through theses miracles, every Sunday…...may make it seem like they occur all the time, all over the place, all through Scripture.
Every week, weve been talking about a new and different one, than we did the week before…..so it may cause you to think that The Bible is just chock full of miracles all throughout it.
But……..thats not the case.
You see humans were designed by God to look for something that exists outside of us.
God built within us…..the desire to look beyond this world
This is evident in all the different things that people think and feel and believe when it comes to stuff of a spiritual nature.
Some people believe that shiny rocks in the ground can heal us
Some people believe that a man with magic sunglasses read a new story about Jesus off of a stone in Palmyra
Others believe that the shape of stars in the night sky determines your personality
Some people believe that Jesus and Satan were brothers
Some believe that if we burn a certain seasoning and say a certain word, it will make evil spirits leave our houses
People have been coming up with spiritual nonsense since we left the Garden.
So when we hear about the miracles that have happened in Scripture, and we agree with what Scripture teaches and that God has ultimate authority over everything in all of the universe, we try and take those miracles and apply them to every area of everything that is going on down here.
But the reality is, when we look at Scripture, we only see these kinds of miracles, these “sign & wonders” at three specific time periods. From Genesis to Revelation, is about 1500 years, and within that time frame, there are only three specific periods when we see the miraculous.
The times of Moses
The times of the Elijah and Elisha
And the times of Jesus and the apostles.
Thats it.
If you were to read through the beginning of the New Testament, and see all the miracles and miraculous stuff that Jesus is doing, and then continue into Acts and see the miraculous stuff that the Apostles are doing….it would all come to a stop before you reached the end of Acts.
In just the New Testament, after the book of Acts there are no more miracles
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Its like that, because when God poured out these “Signs & Wonders” from heaven, He was telling everyone who witnessed or read about them:
“This person, and their words, are authoritative.”
“This is the will of God in heaven, unquestionably divine, from God’s mouth to our brains, this is from God.
The miracles of Moses, were to establish that what he was saying and doing were directly from God.
The words Moses spoke, were from the mouth of God. He could say: “This is from God. This is what He wants, this is what He says, this is the literal word of God.”
“Prove it!”
ok….BAM, miracle
The miracles of Elijah and Elisha, were to establish that what they were saying and doing, was authoritative.
They could say: “These prophecies were telling you about, are from God Himself. They are His words.” ---- Prove it!-----
“Oh you want proof? BAM
The miracles of Jesus, as our verses show this morning, were to prove that He was God.
And the miracles of the Apostles in the book of Acts, were to prove that the message they carried, was from God.
The apostle could say “These are the words of God. From His mouth. These are His words, not mine.”
“Prove it!”
BAM….miracle
And then...the last word of the Bible was written, and the Canon of Scripture was closed. Sealed.
Nothing can be added, and nothing can be subtracted.
What we read in Scripture is the word of God, and the miracles that happened proved it.
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So that brings up a big question, doesnt it?
Does that mean then, that miracles, that “signs & wonders” DONT happen today?
If miracles, and signs and wonders, are for the specific purpose of proving the authority of the words spoken, and the Bible is already written, does that then mean we cant expect to see them?
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But even there, were forced to answer another question, right?
What is a miracle?
When you brake for an extra second longer than normal, causing you to miss an accident?
Is that a miracle?
When an unexpected amount of money comes to you, right when you need it most------
Is that a miracle?
When someone who was sick….pulls through?
When you go to check on your child, and catch them riiiiight when theyre about to put a fork in an outlet------is that a miracle?
I want to tell you all this morning, that those things that we think are miraculous, like the stuff I just listed, are not in fact miracles.
They’re not miracles, because A miracle is the overriding of the natural law of the universe.
A miracle is when God overrides the manner in which nature operates, does something, and then nature takes back over.
Someone walking on water, is not something that can happen given the normal laws of nature.
A paralyzed man, with zero medical intervention, getting up and walking, is something that can not happen given the normal laws of nature.
It is super-----natural, it is beyond the natural-------
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With that, we can move forward and adjust our claims about the things that have happened in our life.
When we brake for a second longer and avoid an accident----the normal laws of the universe are still in action
When a friend or loved one or a stranger or a company, gives us an amount of money when we didnt expect it----the normal laws of the universe are still in action
When a loved one is sick, and the Doctors give a bad outlook, but they pull through-----the normal laws of the universe are still in action
Im going to repeat myself:
A miracle is when God overrides the natural law of the universe, acts, and then the natural law resumes -------- all for the singular purpose of establishing the authority of that person’s words.
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So what do we think about those examples? The almost car accident, the random check, the healthy loved one?
Its super unlikely that that would have happened
Its strange how out of nowhere it seemed to be
I cant help but think that God was involved somehow
Those instances, are what is called “providence”.
“Providence” is when God uses the natural laws of reality, and makes them do what He want.
There are miracles, and there is providence.
When things seem to fall into place, this is providence
When the seemingly random or unexplained event happens, this is providence.
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So the question still remains…...do miracles still happen?
Are there people out there, who can channel the power of God, and do things that override the natural laws of the universe, the way we read about in Scripture?
I want to tell you something this morning, and if you take anything home, let it be this:
If anyone tells you that their words are directly from God, or that God has given them some sort of special revelation…... that He didnt include in Scripture, politely tell them to go have a nice day.
Scripture and Scripture alone is the word of God, and the miracles of the authors prove it.
So yes, the TV personality….. who says they can blow away the Coronavirus, is full of hot garbage.
The person who says they can pull on someones leg and make it longer, is full of hot garbage
The people who claim they are miracle WORKERS…..but never step foot in a Cancer Center --------are corrupting snakes that should be avoided and spoken against whenever they pop their slimy heads up out of their dumpsters
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Miracles are an overriding of the natural law of the universe, to establish the authority of the words being spoken…... as being the words of God.
The words in the Bible is the Word of God
The words of faith healers who avoid Children’s Hospitals…..are not.
God is not going to speak authoritatively through anyone else. There is no more need for that, because we have the Bible and you yourself can read His words within its pages.
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But….wouldnt it help other people to believe if they saw those kinds of miraculous sign and wonders?
Wouldnt people go after God all the more if they saw something like that?
Luke 16:31
31 “He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’”
You see, humans can be so incredibly skeptical, that we even deny the stone cold facts that are right in front of our faces.
The pharisees did that when Lazarus came out of the tomb after 4 days
They will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead
Even people today, deny the facts that are in front of them:
Some of us refuse to believe the planet is round
Some of us refuse to believe that there are only two genders
Some of us refuse to believe that babies are humans
Some of us refuse to believe that we were created
The human heart has a very special ability to ignore reality and rest in it’s own selfishness
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The miracles we read about in Scripture, while they did convince some people, they hardened the hearts of others.
The pharisees were eye witnesses to Lazarus coming back to life after 4 days….and they still outright refused to believe in who Jesus was
Others saw a man with a half an arm, get healed, and had His arm grow back to normal….in front of their eyes….and they still refused to believe
And even today, when someone goes through the scientific process and realizes that the universe couldnt have created itself from nothingness...they still refuse to believe.
The stone cold scientific facts about the nature of reality are there for any who wish to see them….but people still invent nonsense to explain humanity, morality, sexuality, and everything else that is a fingerprint of God.
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So what do we do then, right?
If miracles only happened at specific times in Scripture, to prove the authority of the people giving the message…..
And even then some people didnt believe…..
What are we to conclude when it comes to this?
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First
There are no Messengers of God out there saying things that arent already written in Scripture
The people who claim they are “Faith Healers” are snake oil salesmen who will victim blame when their supposed miracles don’t happen.
The Word of God contains internal proofs, evidence within its pages to prove the authority of the authors…..and we can not add to it.
Anyone who says that something needs to be added or taken away from Scripture, needs to be avoided at all costs.
There are no faith healers.
Second:
That doesnt, however, mean that God has stopped
God has, and will continue, to prove that there is someone beyond this world that we cannot quantify.
When someone examines the evidence and realizes that the universe couldnt have created itself, and that us actually being here defies the natural laws of the universe-------it shows that life itself is a miracle
Life is a miracle, because there is no natural law to explain it
When a person dies on an operating table, and the Doctors realize they can do no more….and with no intervention their heart starts beating again….they can give glory to God for overriding the natural laws of the universe
When an ultrasound shows a baby with severe spinal deformities, but when that baby is born they are entirely and completely healthy and formed….it means that God has overridden the natural laws of the universe, and performed a miracle.
When someone comes to know the depth of their need for God, and prays for forgiveness----------it means that God acted in their heart, regenerated their dead souls, and saved them.
Everytime God saves someone---it is a miracle.
When someone has spent thier life chasing drugs, chasing sex, and chasing violnce….but they come to see their fault and go after God instead…….a miracle has happened
When someone is trapped by bitterness and anger, but turns to God----
When someone is on a bed of suicide, but a Bible is handed to them----
Whenever someone turns from the poison this world has to offer, but instead goes after God with all their might-----
When someones old self is nailed to the cross with Christ and they are born again as someone brand new...no longer controlled by the urges of their past…
It means a miracle has happened
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So yes, miracles still happen, but not through people
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So when you leave here today, and spend your week being bombarded by hurt of this world…..
When anxiety just stacks higher and higher against your heart....
When pain and hurt just wash over you like a dam someone upstream was breached…
When the enemy seems to be winning and it takes all of your strength to mutter a prayer or open your Bible for even a minute….
When you can’t seem to get by without a miracle…..
Remember that God performed a miracle in you, if you indeed have God living with in.
If you have repented of your sins and believe din the Gospel of Jesus Christ, then God has made you new-----
He has nailed your old self to the cross, and he died---
He has washed the filth of your past off of you---
He has cleaned you and breathed life into your dead lungs---
If God lives within your heart, then a miracle has taken place, and God will point you and use you and direct you----
To close….Id like leave you with the words of King David, in Psalm 77
This king David, is described as a man after God’s own heart.
So listen carefully to his words, and his fears and his concerns---
But also listen to the conclusion He comes to, after he lets us know his fears-----
Psalm 77:1-12
I cried out to God for help;
I cried out to God to hear me.
2 When I was in distress, I sought the Lord;
at night I stretched out untiring hands,
and I would not be comforted.
3 I remembered you, God, and I groaned;
I meditated, and my spirit grew faint.
4 You kept my eyes from closing;
I was too troubled to speak.
5 I thought about the former days,
the years of long ago;
6 I remembered my songs in the night.
My heart meditated and my spirit asked:
7 “Will the Lord reject forever?
Will he never show his favor again?
8 Has his unfailing love vanished forever?
Has his promise failed for all time?
9 Has God forgotten to be merciful?
Has he in anger withheld his compassion?”
10 Then I thought, “To this I will appeal:
the years when the Most High stretched out his right hand.
11 I will remember the deeds of the Lord;
yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago.
12 I will consider all your works
and meditate on all your mighty deeds.”
Go after God, with everything about who you are as a person, and you will see lives changed, and hearts healed. You will see miracles.
( → → Closing Prayer ← ← )