Everyone Wants a sign
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The expected journey of the Christian is from immaturity to maturity
You have been believers so long now that you ought to be teaching others. Instead, you need someone to teach you again the basic things about God’s word. You are like babies who need milk and cannot eat solid food. For someone who lives on milk is still an infant and doesn’t know how to do what is right. Solid food is for those who are mature, who through training have the skill to recognize the difference between right and wrong.
Paul is showing us something here:
If we are not pushed towards growth it usually does not happen
We can stay in immaturity because immaturity does not demand anything of us
Today’s message takes a look at one of the characteristics of spiritual maturity
Today’s message takes a look at one of the characteristics of spiritual maturity
Life has or will put you into a situation where you will need to grow into the truth we are about to speak about.
How to trust Christ without a sign
How to trust Christ without a sign
A local worship leader spoke about doing worship until the presence of Jesus showed up…!
What does it mean …until the presence of God/Jesus shows up?
Many times Pentecostals/charismatics come to church expecting to:
Feel Something
See the fire of God come into the place
Experience something that will through our senses tell us God is with us
Some amazing event or happening to demonstrate God’s power
We are not to seek physical manifestations, emotional sensations or spiritual paranormal activity
as
The proof or evidence that:
Christ is with us
That our church has the real Christ
( many have hopped church to church looking for the presence)
Seeking God’s hand instead of his face
One day the Pharisees and Sadducees came to test Jesus, demanding that he show them a miraculous sign from heaven to prove his authority.
He replied, “You know the saying, ‘Red sky at night means fair weather tomorrow; red sky in the morning means foul weather all day.’ You know how to interpret the weather signs in the sky, but you don’t know how to interpret the signs of the times! Only an evil, adulterous generation would demand a miraculous sign, but the only sign I will give them is the sign of the prophet Jonah.” Then Jesus left them and went away.
The other side of the pendulum are faith groups that do not believe the gifts of the Spirit should happen at all
The other side Charismatics believes they should be happening all the time
Jesus said this would be an adulterous generation
Their meetings are centered around waiting for God to show up
There are numerous books that tell you how to unlock the Supernatural with signs and wonders
This is not the motivation or prime objective of the church
To get healed To get prayed for
To get touched To experience Jesus supernaturally
16 One day the Pharisees and Sadducees came to test Jesus, demanding that he show them a miraculous sign from heaven to prove his authority.
2 He replied, ..........verse 4 Only an evil, adulterous generation would demand a miraculous sign, but the only sign I will give them is the sign of the prophet Jonah.[b]” Then Jesus left them and went away.
Jesus did more than enough signs to prove he was God
But he did them on his terms and when he wanted to
Not when Pharisees demanded it
Not when WE demand it
When we always demand a miracle, a manifestation, a feeling, a proof of God’s presence in our services
When we always want a miracle, a manifestation, a feeling, a proof of God’s presence in our services
Jesus will leave and go away......
The statement “God promises it therefore I will get it ” has become a dangerously presumptuous thing
We pick the ones we like and turn them into commands
Has God promised healing to you?
He heals some and he does not heal others
He promises prosperity
But has he told you personally
What kind of prosperity
Do you want to know what kind of attitude God wants in his church
Interesting that Jesus said:
Even though the fig trees have no blossoms, and there are no grapes on the vines; even though the olive crop fails, and the fields lie empty and barren; even though the flocks die in the fields, and the cattle barns are empty, yet I will rejoice in the Lord! I will be joyful in the God of my salvation!
This type of faith had NO signs
Interesting that Jesus said: Only an evil, adulterous generation would demand a miraculous sign
An adulterous generation
They did not want the Lord that Jesus was delivering
They wanted the God of the loaves and fishes
They wanted the God that did signs and wonders and provided bread
What kind of Jesus do we insist upon
The revivals: All with extreme supernatural paranormal activity
The church’s message is not:
Todd Bentley
Bethel in California
Toronto Airport
San Diego
The church’s message is not just:
Physical healing
Miraculous gifts and provision (loaves and fishes)
Providing the presence of God in our services
These are all “signs”
The church’s real message is:
Repentance
Alvin Reid says, "I know I am experiencing a fresh touch of God when I stop confessing everyone else’s sins and start confessing my own sins."
Turning from sin towards God
What is better…someone get a miraculous healing
or
Someone repent of their sinful life and turn to Jesus
Christ like behaviors in the world
"Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen."
and
"Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace."
and
"Make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. ...... For if you do these things, you will never stumble, and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. ()
Walking in Faith & Trust
If we had a church that came in every week expecting:
To repent of their sin
To serve instead of being served
To have a willingness to follow Christ instead of demanding Christ follow them
To truly love each other as Christ loved us
I guarantee the signs would follow
What God wants us to do is grow up in faith
Jesus said to Thomas:
We pick the ones we like and turn them into commands
Jesus said to Thomas:
Then Jesus told him, “You believe because you have seen me. Blessed are those who believe without seeing me.”
Sue…same scriptures....
Repentance
Toronto Airport experience
Turning from sin towards God
Christ like behaviors in the world
Sacrificing for the benefit of others
If we had a church that came in every week expecting THAT!
I guarantee the other things would follow
The God that Jesus portrayed was not
He asked us to do hard things that do not feel good
Go the extra mile when an enemy asks a favor
Forgive those who trespass against us
Stop being angry with each other
Change our focus from what we want to what others need
Take the lower seat instead of the seat of honor
Be happy with less instead of more
Love even when it seems unfair
Christ is
So take a new grip with your tired hands and strengthen your weak knees. Mark out a straight path for your feet so that those who are weak and lame will not fall but become strong.
Work at living in peace with everyone, and work at living a holy life, for those who are not holy will not see the Lord.