Jesus Unfiltered - Follow - Jesus, Miracles, and You, Part 1

Let me ask if God could do a great a supernatural miracle in your life right now. I mean the kind that can't be explained away by skeptics or scientific reasoning. If God could do that for you, what would it be a relationship health issue. Finances will have you got it today we'll talk about Jesus miracles and you stay with thanks for joining us for this Edition of Living on the Edge shipping Living on the Edges and informational teaching and discipleship ministry featuring the Bible continues a series Jesus unfiltered volume 2. Follow this message, he tells us that while many of us think of God as a great history. Fact is, he's the great God of miracles today just before we get started, let me encourage you to try using chips message notes while you listen there a quick download when you go to LivingontheEdge.org and click listen now Filling notes on the okay. If you have a Bible, had he opened it now to John chapter 6 looks Georgia. Welcome to Jesus unfiltered were in a journey through the book of John.

In the first five chapters.

We looked at what is it mean to believe in chapter 6 there's a big shift. Jesus popularity is that absolute apex. In chapter 6, seven, eight, nine and 10. This shift is going to be from not who you believe in me, but will you follow me in and one of the big think it's going to turn is a miracle. The feeding of the 5000 is the only miracle that all four gospel writers write the most important miracle of all that he does save the resurrection. Let me ask you a very personal question.

If God would do a great a supernatural miracle.

I don't mean like a little help I mean a break the laws of nature intervene in your life personally that there's no explanation except God supernaturally intervene for you. What miracle would you want to do. Might be a health issue might be a relationship might be finances. What what would you really wanting to do what what is that maybe one thing that you would say boy.

If God did that then because what I learned what it looks like the following more than a learned miracles are really important, but they have a very clear purpose and sometimes we don't know what the purposes get ask you to do something to jump right in. If you would open your Bibles to John chapter 6 the passage goes something like this miracle number one. The 5000 miracle number two. Jesus walks on the water with his disciples major review by Jesus to a large multitude about why they're following him and minutes followed by a very long and important message that part of it is really hard to understand. So let's start with the miracles and by the time you see it all. You'll begin to understand what it really means to follow Jesus.

Notice the context here.

John six sometime after this, Jesus crossed the shore to the Sea of Galilee. That is the sea of Tiberius and a great crowd of people followed him. Why, because they saw miraculous signs that he performed on whom the sick Jesus went on the hillside and sat down with his disciples the Jewish Passover feast was near. When Jesus looked up and saw the great crowd coming toward him. He said to Philip, where shall we buy bread for all these people to eat. He asked this only to test them for he already had in mind what he was going to do. Philip answered eight months wages would not buy enough bread for each one have a bite.

Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother spoke up. Here's a little boy with five barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go with so many Jesus and have the people sit down with plenty of grass and so they had the men sit down 5000 other gospel writers let us know that there's 5000 men, so there's probably somewhere between 10 and 20,000 people if even a few wives and children are along Jesus then took the loaves he gave thanks, he distributed those receded as much as they wanted and then he did the same with the fish.

When they all had enough to eat.

You might underline that in your mind. He said to his disciples gather the pieces of brother left over. Let nothing be wasted. So they gathered them and they filled 12 baskets with pieces of barley loaves left over by those who need notice the after the people saw the miraculous sign that Jesus did, they begin to say, surely this is the prophet who is coming to the world and Jesus knowing what they intended to come in by force, make him king, he withdrew into the hills by himself. Now what is going to do literally imagine this crowd, maybe 15, 20,000 people they'd seen this miracle. This is the prophet there thinking.

Deuteronomy chapter 18 were Moses said, raise up another prophet like me and Moses brought manna in the wilderness, Jesus in the wilderness, they see the parallel and are starting to rush toward him to make him king a political king, the Messiah, and after doing that. He says the disciples okay pick up all the stuff he's in a send them away and then he goes up on a hill to pray.

Notice what happens when evening came, the disciples went down to the lake where they got into the boat and the set off across for Capernaum by now. It was dark and Jesus not join them in a strong wind was blowing, the waters grew rough when they wrote three or 3 1/2 miles they saw Jesus approaching the boat miracle number two walking on the water and they were terrified. But Jesus said to them, it is I don't be afraid. Then they were willing to take him into the boat and immediately the boat reached the shore where they were heading context. The next day the crowd that stayed on the opposite side of the lake realize that only one boat had gone in the Jesus not enter the boat with his disciples, but they'd all gone away, and some boats and Tiberius landed near the place where the people would eat the bread after Laura given thanks, and once the crowd realize neither Jesus nor his disciples were there.

They got in the boats and they went to Capernaum.

Notice this in search Jesus miracle miracle search of Jesus. Jesus does this miracle on purpose.

Jesus has been teaching before he's over in Jerusalem the Jewish rulers or are giving them a hard time he's declared clearly, he's the Messiah he's taken the disciples off they went on a little trip over here at Caesarea Philippi. And it's worth a place for there's all these different gods and false religions and their Peter months earlier.

Very shortly before this event send you the Christ the son of the living God. So the disciples believe he's the Messiah, crowns, and throngs. Now he gets out of Jerusalem because it's getting dangerous because they're trying to kill and if you remember, and now he looks out and there's throngs of crowds and I mean he's a rock star of rock stars. It is crazy. He's gone viral. People are tweeting about him there on Facebook everywhere. I mean literally is in and of his day and now they're crowding and crowding and they got this expectation. The king has come in in their mind that means he's going to overthrow Rome will make him arcane. You'll pull down the Romans will set up a utopian society. This is their mindset of what they want in the Messiah.

He's going to make my life count now now is going to talk to have his disciples understand who he is and you notice on your notes there's some different reasons why miracles occur and I want to just give you these sort of theologically because God still does miracles, but he doesn't for purpose. Miracles are never end in themselves. Jesus performed miracles to authenticate his identity number. He claimed he's God. These kind of miracles, healing the sick, raising people from the dead. It authenticate his identity. It's authenticated his teaching.

He had while teaching the father and I are one if you seen me you seen the father. I am the only way the truth and life. Then he raises someone from the dead repeats fourth thousand over here and 5000 over here. Miracles also reveal Jesus heart.

He had this power. But how to use it.

The poor were helped the lame walked the blind would see a destitute parents in agony. Their little girl has died and he speaks and raises her from the dead, a widow is going through a town with her only son and he's in a coffin and he's died and Jesus moved with compassion, touches the coffin and raises the boy from the dead, these miracles reveal a heart of compassion and concern for he's with his disciples, and there's a storm in the ready to capsize and he's he speaks to the wind and he speaks to the ways of or there's a Domani act with power, and no one can restrain them, and Jesus speaks his words and he's clothed in his right mind miracles off that his identity is teaching his heart and his power, and it did this one last thing to do. Notice the opening passage, a great multitude, they drew crowds, even today, right when people hear about something supernatural. Everyone flocks to know.

Could this really be God's who has his large crowds, but now what we can find is he's been teaching teaching, teaching, teaching, and if you could study this entire chapter very carefully there'll be grace truth grace truth grace truth and now what he wants and understand is not.

Not everyone is following Jesus for the right reason and not everyone really gets what it means to be a follower. Let's get a couple lessons from the miracles. The sign in the feeding of the 5000 is 5000 adults and families are fed the barley loaves really don't think of a local bread. Think of a little piece of pancake about this big.

The two fish. Don't think of like you know couple big ones there a little of this word is maybe a little bit bigger than a sardine. It was probably pickled and dried so he takes the resources of one tiny little boy feeds 5000+ their families, and then he has the disciples do something it's very important. The word for basket here is in a small basket was a large basket with the top like this and it often carry with them after he does this miracle those followers who will change the world are each carrying a basket full of pieces of bread and all of them hours before Saul. These three little pancakes and a couple fish in their learning something about Jesus and it probably didn't miss their thinking that there were 12 baskets full. He's the Messiah, to Israel and there's 12 tribes. He's the bread of life. He's the source he's the answer. All these claims are true not only for them but to fulfill all God's promises for the nation of Israel. Now I don't know if you've ever been a leader but if your leader and and thousands of people following you, and these are your key 12 men that were going to take on and they start to take you by force. This is not a healthy situation for your followers and so you send them on ahead at what you need understand is that the sea of Tiberius a call to see is not really very big and there's mountains around it and when the sun goes down. The cool air in the water often will cause very very choppy high strong winds. These are professional fishermen and notice it says the rowing and so there their back is there. Here's the map right. Here's North Capernaum is over here and there's a synagogue or he's going to give a message over here in bite bite. It's about 4 miles across the lake. This way he just said 5000 people. They've been about six or seven hours rowing and are making no progress. Jesus is up on the hill and he sees them. Notice he sees and he cares and then a struggle.

Notice the lesson of the 5000 is that if we bring our limited resources to Jesus. He has the power and desire to meet our need. That's what it means to be a followers, not just intellectually believe here's the lesson if you bring your limited resources. I don't have enough time.

I don't have enough courage. I don't have enough money.

I don't how to address a situation I don't have the resources to be the kind of parent you want to be. I don't know how to live this way is a single person if you bring your limited resources to Jesus. He has the power and the desire to help you being a follower isn't just eating the bread for the fish or him doing things for you.

It's bringing your needs. To him, he wants to help you. It's an engagement it's a life journey. Notice the responses they try to make him king in the next section the sign as Jesus walks on the water and you'll know from the other Gospels that Peter actually says if it's really you asked me to come and Peter walks and he does well until he begins to look at circumstances and waves, and he begins to sink, and then immediately Jesus gets in the boat and you have sorted one of the Star Trek moments right you gets in the boat immediately to their note what he think he's wisely preparing them. There's going to be 11 of these 12 men they're going to blaze a trail that is so countercultural that it be so difficult they will go through such suffering. Every single one of them will be martyred and will not waiver for their faith because they understand who he really is the conviction of following someone is you can't follow him unless you can trust him and you can only trust people that you can believe their word, they have the power to do what they say they can do and you can only trust if you really know they care about and Jesus sees their struggle and Jesus walked on the water purposefully to let them know that whatever comes into your world and your life. I want you to know even the very powers of nature are not a limitation for me and so here's the lesson from miracle number two.

If we invite Jesus into the storms of our life to rescue us to give some perspective here. I've anointed people with oil with elders I've prayed for many people and buried them two weeks later so that it is no claim there's no special powers or anything. All I know is that at certain times God intervenes in supernatural ways to authenticate his identity to us to reaffirm his teaching to us to to give us faith and encouragement for his heart of compassion and that we could remember. He has power and that in the circumstances of life that he sees our struggle and he wants us to cry out to him and have a relationship with him. It's not about what we can get from him or what he can do for us, but to understand he's got invite him into your struggle inviting into the storm of your life.

This can be a big shift here. The response of the disciples first. They're terrified and they're overwhelmed right when's the last time you were terrified of who God really is me, not because you are afraid of him like he would hurt you but terrified just how powerful unapproachable like holy, magnificent.

I think somehow Jesus is stuck in our minds is meek and mild and sort has a pale complexion and isn't the kind of person if you had a big job to do, you would want him to help because it pretty weak and you probably can't pick up anything and you probably really sweet and just hangs out with women and little kids and really you know is low flannel graphing or like the pictures you know the Christian bookstore Jesus saw the Jesus of the Bible the Jesus of the Bible strong powerfully supernatural. He cares he loves before you elected to stop right now like you to stop and think, what's the biggest storm in your life or someone you love.

Okay think of someone you know that you love the got cancer. Think of someone you love and their marriages not going well think of someone you love that has a child who is just far from God. Think of someone you love that is single or divorced her in the midst of deep personal pain, or depressed.

Had he gotten it got it in your mind right now. Ask God. Maybe that person is you ask him to come into the storm of that person's life for you right now. Oh God, you are not a you're not a god of the book of thousands of years ago. Lord you are with us where we move and live and have our being your personal your intimate Lord you take all of our cheers and you put them in a bottle. Your heart grieves for us.

You long for us to come and pour out her heart and share our needs and our hurts.

You long to enter in and help. And so we ask in the name and the power of Jesus himself, our holy father that you would do miraculous things that you would intervene, you would give grace that you would give courage that you would restore relationships you would even choose to heal and we would commit in advance. It will give you credit back in just going to guess your listening to Living on the Edge with Chip Ingram chips message today is from follow volume 2, series Jesus unfiltered follower explores what Jesus meant when he said to his disciples follow me those two words of change the lives of countless millions over the centuries, and you can experience that same life-changing power. But that's an idea you'd like to pursue listening to this teaching again will help you get there to do that or to share the series with a friend.

It's easy only up if you're a radio or podcast listener.

Just visit us online at http://livingontheedge.org or give us a call at 1-888-333-6003. We'd love to get this resource in your hands will trip the series really helps us understand that being a Christian isn't about trying to be a good person.

It's about 24 seven relationship.

Let me ask how you developed your relationship with Jesus over the years. As you listen to these messages from the book of John. I'm guessing you have the same problem I do.

I mean this is very strong, clear teaching from Jesus himself, and at times I feel overwhelmed that I get convicted, and I realize I'm trying and trying and trying in some areas and then I just feel stuck what once you know I developed a habit about 30 years ago when I would get stuck. What I realized was I was believing lies or I'd had struggles that continued over and over and over and I need to attack the lies not just my behavior or my emotions and so I came up with these these cards and I we call them the Jesus unfiltered truth cards. For example, I get frustrated when people interrupt my schedule when they cut in front of me because, down deep, what I believe is my stuff, my time and me is more important than other people know that's hard to actually admit.

So what I wrote on the card is. I get frustrated and angry when people interrupt my life… And then I write on the bottom stop that. I flipped the card over and from John 13 Jesus says if I being your Lord and Master serve you. Blessed are you when you do this for one another. So what I realize is that blessedness comes from service.

But instead of trying hard and beating myself up. These truth cards are read them over in the morning.

I read them overnight identified a few lies and then I get the truth and so we made these up for you and let me tell you it has radically changed my life. The Jesus unfiltered truth cards are available to you. Love the put in your hands because transformation doesn't happen by trying hard transformation happens by renewing our minds thanks to all the Jesus unfiltered truth cards are available now while supplies last. When you tap special offers or go to your website. LivingontheEdge.org there a set of 21 cards like the one strip uses. Each card is a common lie or spiritual battle we all face and on the flipside, it has a passage from the Gospel of John to help you renew your mind with the truth whether there for you or someone else or your set of Jesus unfiltered truth cards and get free shipping by calling us at 1-888-333-6003 tapping special offers ordering online that LivingontheEdge.org will now hear strip with his application as we wrap up today's program.

Let me ask you if you could ask God for a miracle. I mean a bona fide grade. A supernatural miracle.

What would you ask him for nothing. Sometimes we think very subtly, God becomes this sort of impersonal force and there's these principles and everything is just cause and effect, and we do this, God does that. We don't believe he'll break into our world into a miracle now a miracle is rare. Okay I get that. But what what would you really ask him for and you know I've seen a handful of times where I have seen God intervene in ways there is no scientific rational explanation. It is just an intervention of God. I member. One lady was listening to the radio and I was teaching similar to this, and she had this health issue that is been going on and on and on and on and on and she just heard it in and faith kinda met the word of God and she said God I'm going to ask you for this sin, God intervened. He healed her miraculously. I prayed for lots of people and they were healed. But this particular case I remember praying for a young woman with a brain tumor at literally the next day they did the scan is gone. So all I want you to know is that God does intervene ask him seek him and and but you can't manipulate them. The very chapter that you study here is people were following Jesus to do get the miracles and get the food in other words, what they wanted us to use Jesus. He's not a self-help genie is the God of the universe, but let me encourage you to plead your case seek him with all your heart and then in trust that he may deliver you out of something with a miracle he may deliver you through it and give you grace just to keep on going. Or he may teach you something that he really wants you to learn. I think God is pleased when we come boldly in faith and ask will just before we close, I would say thanks to those of you who are giving regularly to the ministry of Living on the Edge your monthly contributions help us plan and make commitments we could do otherwise. So you're making a huge difference helping other Christians live like Christians you're enjoying the benefits of Living on the Edge, but aren't yet on the team. Would you think about joining today you can set up a recurring donation by visiting our website LivingontheEdge.org or just by giving us a call at 1-888-333-6003. Thanks for doing whatever the Lord leads you to do. Until next time. This is really saying thanks for listening to this Edition of Living on the Edge