Title: Miracles Still Happen

Date: 2008-06-08

Reference: Acts 5: 12-16

The Apostles worked many miracles and wonders among the people. Many began having faith in the Lord. Those who were sick came and they were all healed. One of the miracles worked by Peter and John was the healing of a crippled beggar near the Temple. One moment he was sitting on the side of the path begging, unable to walk. The next moment he was walking, leaping, and praising God. One would think the Religious leaders would have been thrilled about a healing, a miracle among them. Rather they said: “What are we going to do with them? Everyone in Jerusalem knows what they have done in healing this man, and we cannot deny it.” When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized they were unschooled, ordinary men they were astonished. They ordered Peter and John to stop preaching about Jesus to stop working miracles in His Name. The response of the Apostles was: “We cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.” And, the Bible says, with great power the apostles continued to testify about the Resurrection of Jesus and much grace was upon them all.

Multitudes were added to the church. The church grew from 120 to 3k in a day and to 5k in a week. When persecution came, the 5k spread the church throughout the world. There is no way 120 folks who had never been outside the city limits could have done such a thing alone. But when the Holy Spirit came they were unstoppable. Miracles happened. People were changed. Many trusted Christ. Lives and families were made whole.

One of the reasons the New Testament Church was so attractive was the presence of miracles, signs, and wonders. God gave the Apostles power to perform great miracles. The power was the presence of the Holy Spirit.

Over the years I’ve heard people say they’ve never experienced a miracle of any kind. From what I see and know of many churches, I’m not surprised. It’s been a long while since the Holy Spirit has been welcomed in some churches.

Recently I heard a Methodist Preacher say he believes in the same God Spinosa believed in. Benedict Spinosa was a 17th century Rabbi. He was quite a scholar who denied the nature of God. He did not believe in the immortality of the soul, the existence of miracles, angels or Biblical Revelation. He replaced God with nature and Scripture with reason.

I just don’t see any hope there. We believe in a different God. A God whose understanding is limitless. Whose power is measureless. Whose love is unending. Whose mercies are new each morning. Whose patience endures. We believe in the God of miracles. When this God is seen through the lives of His faithful followers, He is irresistible.

Do miracles still happen in the world today? Absolutely. Again many have never experienced a miracle because they have never met the Holy Spirit and experienced His power. The greatest miracle is the transformation of a lost soul into a child of God by the Grace of God. A skeptic challenged a new Christian who had been a terrible alcoholic if he really believed the miracles in the Bible. “Of course I do” came the answer. The skeptic laughed, “Do you really believe Jesus could turn water into wine?”

“Absolutely” came the quick answer. “In my home Jesus has turned wine into food, clothes, and furniture.”

I have seen God work miracles through the Power of the Holy Spirit. I have seen physical healing. More often I’ve seen emotional and spiritual healing. God has worked a miracle in my life healing a painful past. Allowing me to be in ministry these last 30 years. God helps people deal with the past and makes us whole. Many received forgiveness they thought would always and forever allude them. So many have learned to stop worrying and to trust God. Families have been healed and brought together. People have trusted God for financial miracles. All of this to say the Holy Spirit is still available and anxious to work in us and through us today.

Congregations long considered dead or dying have been revived as the Holy Spirit began to stir at the invitation of church members. The Spirit was always meant to be the power source for the church. The Holy Spirit is the ultimate renewable energy source. He is all we will ever need to succeed in ministry. I don’t understand our reluctance to depend on the Holy Spirt.

The Spirit doesn’t do ministry for us. He still works through our human efforts. We must invite Him to be a part of what we are doing. We must be absolutely available as He comes to work through our efforts. The Book of Acts is much more than a history lesson. The Book of Acts assures us it can happen here. It can happen again if we are open and willing to receive and follow god’s Holy Spirit.

There are places in the world today where the church is growing by leaps and bounds. In Africa there are more than 350 million Christians.

All across Africa there are hundreds of storefront churches, revival tents, and meeting places. The Bible has been translated into hundreds of local dialects. It is estimated that within 20 years there will be more Christians in Africa than in Europe and North America combined.

Maybe it’s time for us to return to the Holy Spirit. Either we believe in a God who can do anything or we must accept a Christian Faith that is non miraculous. C.S. Lewis said: “The mind that asks for a non miraculous Christianity is a mind that has relapsed into mere religion.” That’s not very attractive but it describes many Christians and churches today.

Several years ago there was a news article about a tavern being build in a small town that had until recently been a dry county. Groups of Christians opposed this development and began all night prayer meetings asking God to intervene. Lightening struck the tavern building and it burned to the ground. The tavern owner, hearing about the prayer meeting, brought a lawsuit against the church, claiming they were responsible. The Christians hired their own lawyer claiming they were not responsible. That they had nothing to do with the fire. In his opening remarks, the judge said: “One thing is clear, the tavern owner believes in prayer and the church members do not.”

When we pray do we really believe we will move the hand of God? Do we still believe in miracles? Arch Bishop William Temple was a simple, humble man of faith who believed in the power of prayer. He often said: “When the church prays, miracles happen.” A skeptic asked him: “Could the miracles be nothing more than coincidence?” “They could be” said Temple, “but when I pray coincidences happen.

When I do not pray they don’t happen.” The early church experienced signs and wonders. The church had undeniable miracles. It was a supernatural church. Signs were an outward evidence of the inner working of the power the Lord in a person or in a situation. Signs tell us the Spirit is at hand. Wonders were signs which caused people to be gripped by awe. It was very clear to everyone that something beyond human ability was involved in healing and transformed lives occurring as a result of the Holy Spirit in the Apostles. People noticed and people flocked to the Apostles and the church flourished. The early church was respected and stood for something. It was a church that boldly preached Christ rather than begging people to attend in order to raise a budget.

We must ask ourselves: “What is happening in our church today, which could be explained only hy the presence of the Holy Spirit at work among us? And what are we attempting which could not be done without the power of the Holy Spirit?

A church powered and sustained by the Holy Spirit will not have to look for new members, it will have to look for ways to effectively assimilate all the new members God calls unto himself.

A supernatural church is a growing and a healing church. The Spirit desires the same for our church today. It is entirely possible for our church today to be like the early church was way back in the first century. The difference will always be whether or not we know the Holy Spirit and if we are depending upon Him for leadership and power.

God has equipped us for every good work. The presence of the Holy Spirit is God’s guarantee that no matter what we face, God is committed to providing the power and strength we need to accomplish the task

The world around us is waiting for us to show them the beauty and power of the Lord. The world is waiting for the miracles only the Spirit can work. We must show the world we still believe in miracles and allow God to work miracles through our lives and church.