Do Miracles Happen Today?
Questions Of Eternal Consequence • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Greetings…
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What Was A Miracle & Its Purpose
What Was A Miracle & Its Purpose
Defining Miracle Biblically
Defining Miracle Biblically
For years now people have had a misconception about what miracles are and because of they have been so watered down by those inside and outside the church, people don’t even know what a miracle is.
A miracle was supranatural not supernatural.
When a person is dead and is raised this is supranatural not just the manipulation of nature.
When a person has been fully and completely healed in an instant.
When a leper is cleansed or a demon is removed instantly these are supranatural events and thus miracles.
8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons. You received without paying; give without pay.
When a person is sick and we pray today for them to get better and they do…
After seeing a doctor, taking medication, working on getting healthy through any number of natural means and then eventually becomes healthy again this isn’t a miracle because it was not instant.
3 And Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, “I will; be clean.” And immediately his leprosy was cleansed.
34 And Jesus in pity touched their eyes, and immediately they recovered their sight and followed him.
24 But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he said to the man who was paralyzed—“I say to you, rise, pick up your bed and go home.” 25 And immediately he rose up before them and picked up what he had been lying on and went home, glorifying God.
So a miracle is always a supranatural not supernatural event.
Providence is supernatural, miracles are supranatural.
Having understood this, let us then seek to
Understand The Purpose Of Miracles
Understand The Purpose Of Miracles
What was the purpose of miracles?
Was it to cause a person to have faith in God and look for salvation?
NO!!!
27 And he said, ‘Then I beg you, father, to send him to my father’s house— 28 for I have five brothers—so that he may warn them, lest they also come into this place of torment.’ 29 But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.’
30 And he said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ 31 He said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.’ ”
So again, what was the purpose of miracles?
It was always to confirm that the one teaching God’s word or sent by God was truly from God.
20 And they went out and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by accompanying signs.
God’s word was not fully given and thus there was not all things that pertain to life and godliness as of yet.
As such there was a necessity for the miraculous so that people could believe the one preaching or teaching was actually from God and not an imposter.
Summary
Summary
If you go from Genesis through Revelation every miracle done by humans had two things in common.
It was supranatural and it proved the person speaking was from God.
What About Miracles Today?
What About Miracles Today?
Do People Witness Miracles Today?
Do People Witness Miracles Today?
Considering what we just discussed, let us ask this question and think about what people call miracles today.
The word miracle has been completely watered down to the point that people believe that almost anything and everything is a miracle even though it neither confirms a person is from God nor is supranatural.
What are some of the “common” miracles of today?
Sun Rise or Sun Set
Child Birth
Person being cured of caner after being treated for cancer.
Praying for rain and it eventually start raining.
Even those that “claim supranatural abilities” have been proven to be liars over and over.
Billy Hinn, Oral Roberts, T.D. Jakes, Victor Kanyari, Peter Popoff…
Were Miracles Promised To Those Today?
Were Miracles Promised To Those Today?
The answer to this has surprised many in the church and naturally those outside the church building doors.
It was prophesied that miracles would cease in the Old Testament.
1 On that day a fountain will be opened for the house of David and for the residents of Jerusalem, to wash away sin and impurity. 2 On that day”—this is the declaration of the Lord of Hosts—“I will erase the names of the idols from the land, and they will no longer be remembered. I will remove the prophets and the unclean spirit from the land.
It was prophesied that miracles would cease in the New Testament.
8 Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part. 10 But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away.
Now the apostle Paul knew a little bit about miracles.
11 And God was doing extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul, 12 so that even handkerchiefs or aprons that had touched his skin were carried away to the sick, and their diseases left them and the evil spirits came out of them.
And yet Paul here is saying that the very thing he was “doing that others couldn’t” was going to pass away.
So let’s look back at 1 Corinthians 13:8-10 again.
8 Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part. 10 But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away.
The real question is, what is “that which is perfect.”
Some have said it is Jesus.
However, there is not one point in the scriptures wherein God the Father, Son, or Spirit are said to be a “that” or in the “neuter” grammatically speaking.
So, what is something not someone that is perfect?
17 Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.
25 But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.
When the bible was to the point wherein salvational doctrine was written and others could study it, there was no longer a need for miracles to “prove someone was from God.”
The word of God could be used to do that.
3 as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue
Now if this was all we had it would be enough but we also know that the only way a person could receive the ability to perform miracles was if an apostle laid hands on them.
14 Now when the apostles at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent to them Peter and John, 15 who came down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit
18 Now when Simon saw that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money
11 For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you
When the apostles died so did the ability for the miracles to be given to humanity.
Summary
Summary
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Conclusion
Conclusion
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Invitation
1 Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save, or his ear dull, that it cannot hear; 2 but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear.
6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.
17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.
6 And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.
30 The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent
33 So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.
32 Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. 33 But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven.
8 in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.
1 Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, 2 and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. 3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures
3 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.
7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.
12 Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.
