Embracing Miracles: Faith, Prayer, and Divine Intervention

 

Summary

In today's gathering, we explored the profound and often debated topic of miracles, signs, and wonders, focusing on their relevance and activity in our lives today. We began by acknowledging the two primary theological perspectives: cessationism and continuationism. Cessationism holds that miraculous gifts ceased with the apostolic age, while continuationism, which we embrace, believes that these gifts continue to be active and available today. This belief is rooted in the conviction that Jesus' words in John 14:12 and Mark 16:17 were not just historical but are promises for us today.

We delved into the nature of miracles, emphasizing that they are divine interventions that defy ordinary explanations, meant to advance God's kingdom. Miracles are not just historical events recorded in the Bible but are part of God's character and His interaction with the world. To deny miracles is to deny a fundamental aspect of God's nature. We shared personal testimonies of miraculous healings and divine interventions, underscoring that the greatest proof of miracles is often found in our personal experiences.

The sermon encouraged us to pray boldly for miracles, using the Lord's Prayer as a model. When we pray, we are inviting heaven to invade earth, asking for God's divine power to interject into our lives. Jesus taught us to be persistent in our prayers, much like the man who knocked on his neighbor's door at midnight until he received what he needed. This persistence in prayer is not about pestering God but about demonstrating faith and trust in His ability to provide.

We concluded by praying for various needs within the congregation, including physical healing, emotional restoration, financial breakthroughs, and the unleashing of spiritual gifts. We believe that God is still in the business of performing miracles and that He desires to work through us to bring about His kingdom on earth.

Key Takeaways:

- The Nature of Miracles: Miracles are divine interventions that defy ordinary explanations, meant to advance God's kingdom. They are a fundamental aspect of God's character and His interaction with the world. To deny miracles is to deny a part of who God is. [09:26]

- Faith and Belief: If we believe in the existence of God and the historical miracles recorded in the Bible, we should also believe in His ability to perform miracles today. Our faith in God's existence should naturally extend to faith in His miraculous power. [31:23]

- Persistent Prayer: Jesus encourages us to be persistent in our prayers, much like the man who knocked on his neighbor's door at midnight. This persistence is a demonstration of faith and trust in God's ability to provide. [37:54]

- Praying for Miracles: When we pray, we are inviting heaven to invade earth, asking for God's divine power to interject into our lives. The Lord's Prayer is a model for praying for miracles, as it asks for God's will to be done on earth as it is in heaven. [41:33]

- Unleashing Spiritual Gifts: We believe that all spiritual gifts are available to the body of Christ today. These gifts are meant to be used for the glory of God's kingdom and to demonstrate His power and presence in the world. [48:21]

Youtube Chapters:

- [00:00] - Welcome
- [09:26] - Understanding Cessationism and Continuationism
- [12:46] - The Nature of Miracles
- [18:33] - Biblical Examples of Miracles
- [23:45] - Personal Testimonies of Miracles
- [31:23] - Faith and Belief in Miracles
- [37:54] - The Power of Persistent Prayer
- [41:33] - Praying for Miracles
- [48:21] - Unleashing Spiritual Gifts
- [52:15] - Prayers for Physical Healing
- [55:30] - Prayers for Emotional Healing
- [57:15] - Prayers for Financial Breakthrough
- [59:45] - Closing and Final Prayers

Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide

Bible Reading:
- Luke 11:1-13
- John 14:12
- Mark 16:17

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Observation Questions:

1. In Luke 11:1-13, what does Jesus teach about the nature of prayer and persistence? How does this relate to the concept of praying for miracles? [31:23]

2. According to John 14:12, what does Jesus promise to those who believe in Him? How does this promise relate to the continuation of miracles today?

3. In Mark 16:17, what signs are said to accompany those who believe? How does this passage support the idea of continuationism?

4. What personal testimonies of miracles were shared in the sermon, and how do they serve as evidence of God's miraculous power today? [23:45]

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Interpretation Questions:

1. How does the belief in continuationism, as discussed in the sermon, affect one's view of God's character and His interaction with the world? [09:26]

2. What role does faith play in the expectation and experience of miracles, according to the sermon and the passages from John and Mark? [31:23]

3. How does the parable of the persistent neighbor in Luke 11 illustrate the importance of persistence in prayer? What does this teach us about our relationship with God? [37:54]

4. The sermon mentioned that denying miracles is akin to denying a part of God's nature. How does this statement challenge or affirm your current beliefs about miracles? [23:45]

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Application Questions:

1. Reflect on a time when you experienced or witnessed a miracle. How did it impact your faith and understanding of God's power? [23:45]

2. The sermon encourages bold and persistent prayer. What is one specific area in your life where you need to pray more persistently? How can you incorporate this into your daily routine? [37:54]

3. How can you use the Lord's Prayer as a model for praying for miracles in your life? What specific miracle are you currently seeking, and how can you align it with God's will? [41:33]

4. The sermon emphasized the availability of spiritual gifts today. Which spiritual gift do you feel called to develop, and what steps can you take to nurture it within your community? [48:21]

5. Consider the concept of heaven invading earth through prayer. How can you invite God's presence into a challenging situation you are facing right now? [41:33]

6. The sermon mentioned the importance of sharing personal testimonies of miracles. Who in your life could benefit from hearing your story, and how can you share it with them this week? [23:45]

7. Reflect on the idea that God can provide in unexpected ways, as illustrated by the pastor's story of financial provision. How can you remain open to God's provision in your current circumstances? [57:15]

Devotional

I'm ready to provide the 5-day devotional.

Quotes

"Let me make it very practical to you if you believe in God let me ask you this if you believe that God who whom you have never seen who stands outside of time and space if you believe God spoke the worlds into existence and that same God has worked supernatural unexplained miracles throughout history and you believe that Jesus the Son of God descended from heaven robed himself in humanity walk the earth teaching and preaching and performing miracle signs and wonders and then that same Jesus went to a cross died a horrible death was buried in a grave stayed there for three days got up with all power in his hand did that for you and I to pay a price that we were not able to pay and that same Jesus hung out with his disciples for another 40 days and then that same Jesus ascended up into heaven which you have never seen and is seated on a throne which you also have never seen and he has poured out the Holy Spirit to indwell anyone who believes so that through the power of the Holy Spirit miracle signs and wonders were performed in the early church and if you believe that that same Jesus will one day return back to earth to judge the quick and the dead and we will return with them into eternity to live with him forever if you believe that why would you not believe that that same God could heal somebody of cancer I'm just trying to be practical if you got the faith to believe that God exists you have enough faith to believe that he also rewards them who diligently seek him this is why the writer of Hebrews said in Hebrews chapter 11 verse 6 for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists he the writer he was like listen if you believe that God exists and you've never seen him then why would you not believe that God can supply all of your needs according to his riches and glory then why would you not believe that God can bring your lost loved one back then why would you not believe that the thing that you've been praying for the job that you applied for that you're not qualified for why would you not believe that he will give you the job if you can believe that God exists then you have enough faith to believe that miracles are possible in fact if you believe that God exists every other miracle is chicken scratch it's minor so if you believe he contrario questo for that you're going to believe that God Weg admiration for that you have you" [21:39:39]

"that it's possible because that's your job your job is not to figure it out or to be logical about it it's just to believe it's possible and if you believe it's possible then the next question becomes how do I access a miracle because I think anybody who needs a miracle is wondering how do I get it no no no pastor I believe it's possible but how do I access it well I'm glad you asked because Jesus actually gives us the answer in the Lord's Prayer let's look at Matthew chapter 6 verse number 9 this is the same prayer but it's Matthew's rendition he adds a little a little more of what Jesus says he says pray that word pray means to petition or to make a request he says pray then or make a request or a petition like this our father in heaven hallowed be your name so number one when you approach God you must believe that he exists why would you pray if you didn't believe God existed right so the first thing you do when you make acknowledge that he exists right then he goes on to say after you acknowledge that he exists Jesus said you continue to pray your kingdom come your will be done on earth as it is in heaven I want to stop right there because some of you are like what does the Lord's Prayer have to do with miracles you maybe you wake up in the morning and you pray the Lord's Prayer every single day right maybe you are familiar with the Lord's Prayer you quote it all the time but maybe you didn't realize that every time you pray the Lord's Prayer you are actually praying for a miracle let me break this down can I break it down because if you remember the explanation of a miracle a miracle is an unexpected outpouring of God's power in an event that defies ordinary explanation which occurs to advance God's kingdom a miracle is when the divine intercepts the natural a miracle is when the heavenly invades the earthly a miracle is when the supernatural interferes with the natural a miracle is when God interjects himself into the mundane life of an ordinary person so when Jesus said you gonna pray he said don't just come up to me telling me how your day is going don't come up to me asking for stuff that you can do in your own power he says when you pray pray that heaven comes down to earth that's the definition of a miracle Jesus literally says that if you're gonna pray don't waste them on chicken scratch that you can do by yourself but when you pray ask God for his divine power" [24:39:21]

"to interject itself into your life when you pray pray that the supernatural disrupts the natural pray that the will of the father is done down in your life pray that the great power compensates for your lack of power pray that the transcendence invades the mundane pray that heaven meets earth when you pray every time you pray you ought to be praying for a miracle every time yes every time if you didn't need heaven to invade your space why pray" [27:48:21]

"if you didn't need god to come through for you then why to go go to him in the first place god god i need you to help me to wake up early just set your alarm clock" [28:18:21]

"hey god god help me help me lord jesus to treat my wife better take her on a date i'm not god i'm just giving you some practical answers i only go to god with things that i can't do yes he's and he's concerned about your life he will take care of you but when you when it's time to pray it's time to ask god to invade your space it's time for god god i tried everything i went to every doctor's appointment i got all the reports i did all the scans they tell me it's not gonna work they tell me it's gonna be bad now i need you god to come into my life and invade my space now no no no i know some of y 'all like okay listen i hear you but the reason why most people don't pray bold prayers and ask for miracles is because one they don't think that god will answer yeah or two they have prayed before and god did not answer they prayed again and god didn't answer so they just give up but jesus knew that we were going to have a hard time so directly after he gives us instructions on how to pray he says i'm not done yet he says there was a man who ran out of bread his supply had run out what he had prepared was gone he had need for intervention he came to the end of what he had available and now he needed somebody to intercede on his behalf and give him something he did not have so he said this man ran out of bread it's 12 o 'clock in the midnight and this man when he ran out of bread he knew he needed bread so he thought of the first person who had bread which happened to be his neighbor so he gets out of bed rolls over to his neighbor's house first of all he believed that his neighbor had the bread that he needed in his time he needed in his time of need if you come to god you must believe you" [28:45:47]

"That is possible. If you're going to pray, you've got to pray. Believing is possible. So he goes to his neighbor and he says, probably the first time. Yo, John. Doesn't get an answer. Yo, Johnny boy. No answer. Yo, John. I need some bread." [30:50:45]

"I got a friend of mine over. I'm out of bread. And I know you have bread." [31:11:49]

"John, stop playing, dog. I know you got what I need." [31:23:51]

"Can you come out here and just give me some of that bread?" [31:28:49]

"John said, don't bother me, dog. I'm sleeping." [31:32:49]

"I'm hanging out with my kids. It's late. Yeah, I got the bread. But go away. Ta -ta. Jesus said, that man said, nope, I'm not leaving until I get what I came here for." [31:35:75]

"And the scripture says that he kept on knocking and his neighbor got up, not because he was his friend." [31:56:19]

"He came to the door, hey, this ain't because we're in a relationship. This ain't because I actually like you. It's not because you've done really good by making sure that your lawn is kept nicely. I'm coming here because you pestered me. And I'm going to give you whatever you need to stop bothering me. Jesus says that the same way that that man kept going and knocking and asking for the bread who he knew that his neighbor had, he says, in the same way, I tell you, ask and it will be given. Seek and you will find. Knock and it shall be opened. In other words, Jesus gives you permission to be a pest with your prayers until God answers." [32:05:89]

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Transcript
What was the most surprising thing in this sermon?
Were there any personal stories shared?