A Biblical History of Sign Gifts #2

What are the marks that God has given his people. Today in the church to look for for the man that should be leading the people of God is pointing to signs and wonders, or is it something else so glad you joined us the truth but with nondegree founding pastor of truth Community Church in Cincinnati, Ohio higher bill right and today is Don continues in his ministry of teaching God's people.

God's word will move further in our series title the Holy Spirit today with part two of a message called biblical history of sign gifts last time.look at Old Testament patterns of miraculous signs, and then began examining New Testament pattern will be picking up there today as he shows us more of how God used these miraculous wonders to verify his spokesman at the time so friend.

Have your Bible handy. Let's join Don Greene in the pulpit. Look at John chapter 10 the Jews put his identity directly in question in verse 24 they gathered around him and were saying to them, how long will you keep us in suspense. If you are the Christ, tell us plainly. Jesus answered them, I told you, and you do not believe the works that I do in my father's name.

These testify of me. There is a validity to my words, as shown by the works that I've done in my father's name.

You don't believe verse 26 because you're not of my sheep, but the signs had vindicated my claim to divine authority in everything that I say then, finally, in verse 33 the Jews were ready to stone him.

Jesus and what he wants stone may verse 32. Which of my good works are you going to stone me for in the Jews answered him.

In verse 33 for a good work we do not stone you, but for blasphemy because you being a man make yourself out to be. God says they understood his word you're claiming to be full of the anti-that's blasphemy in Jesus in response, points to the works that he had done. Look at verse 37. If I do not do the works of my father do not believe me but if I do them, though you do not believe me, believe the works, so that you may know and understand that the father is in me and I in the father. He says you are drawing the wrong conclusion when you accuse me of blasphemy. The works that I do vindicate my claim to be who I am if you want take my word for it. Look at the miraculous signs and wonders that have been done at my hand and realize that I am telling you the truth I am God incarnate.

I am the son of God. I am John 14 verse six I am the way the truth and the life no man comes to the father but through me.

Now, beloved, if anyone else had come to us and said those staggering words that are so familiar to us from John 14 six here's a man who by by visible appearance was just a man and this man true 100% man, the man Jesus Christ says I'm the way the truth and the life.

No one comes to the father except through me. You want to go to heaven. You have to come through me.

If you try to go around me.

You will be lost in your sins, you will be judged and condemned eternally because I'm the only way well that's a staggering claim for anyone to make what distinguished Jesus was. He had backed up that claim with works that no one else could do and those works attested to the reality of his claim. Peter understood this in acts chapter 2 verse 22 turn to the book of acts. Acts chapter 2 verse 22. He says men of Israel, listen to these words.

Jesus the Nazarene, a man attested to you by God with miracles and wonders and signs which God performed through him in your midst. He says you saw this God attested to his words by powerful works, that no one else could do this man. Verse 23 delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put them to death. Now the men were read on there and you see that the audience was pierced, my goodness.

We just crucified the Messiah. What hope is there for us. We killed our own Messiah. We crucified in Peter.

What we do says repent, repent and turn to Christ, the thing that Peter pointed to to remind them of the authority of Christ with the signs and wonders and miracles that God had done in and through Christ that vindicated every claim that he made the divine authority every claim that he made to divine essence and now is reading in acts chapter 2 the ultimate capstone miracle had taken place and the resurrection verified in a final climactic way that everything that Christ had said was true, and now the risen Lord and he is declared by the apostles to be Lord God and King, the one to whom all men must repent of sin and come to him by faith alone in order to be saved from their sins. Apart from that there is no salvation apart from that, you are all miserably lost with no hope of eternal life. The signs attested to Christ. They vindicated the claim and in going back now as I promise to do go back to the end of John chapter 20 what does this mean for us today. What does this mean for you that are here.

Maybe you're new to Christianity. Your new you never heard things like this before. What does it all mean to you as a sinner now realizing that you are separated from God.

What is mean to you John chapter 20 verse 30 says this therefore many other signs.

Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book he says he's is what I just given you a sampling I given you a few Jesus did so many other things in the presence of witnesses that I could've mentioned but didn't. But what I've written here is sufficient for this purpose to fulfill the reason I wrote this gospel. Verse 31.

These have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ the son of God in the believing you may have life in his name, the gospel of John records in narrative fashion. These miracles that Jesus performed they vindicated his claim to be the way the truth and the life. And John says now that you have this gospel in your hands. Let me tell you why was all said it was all said so that you would believe that Jesus truly is the son of God, that you would respond to him in repentance believing faith so you can be saved from your sins. In other words, he says you have in writing here, a record which is more than sufficient for you to believe in Christ. The truth has been established for you in a way that is conclusive, and to which you are now accountable is that I wrote these things that you would believe. While signs and wonders designed to promote an effect on the human mind and the time that says I have no alternative but to believe the words are being spoken by the spokesman by God, Moses, Elijah, culminating in Christ himself.

His ministry attested by signs of miracles and wonders no one else could do indicating watching beloved a supernatural intervention from outside the natural world beyond natural power to show that God was acting that God was speaking and therefore the words of his spokesman were to be believed and obeyed. That's the point of signs and wonders. The primary purpose was not the primary purpose was not simply to relieve physical suffering.

In a time and space realm. If that was the point then were kind of wasting our time because eventually all men die because is appointed from in the diet and then after that face judgment. It wasn't simply an act of mercy to an individual who was suffering it was that but there was a greater purpose at stake in what Christ did. The miracles were to vindicate his claim to be the son of God, and to compel people to understand that salvation is found only in him, you must understand that beloved the testing purpose of these signs on the Messiah now the apostles as we saw last time, performed miracles with the same testing purpose, let me remind you one verse among the dozen or so that we read last time. Second Corinthians chapter 12 verse 12, the apostle Paul says the signs of a true apostle were performed among you with all perseverance by signs and wonders and miracles and so these personally appointed legal representatives of Christ went out preaching in his name. How were men to know in the first century that what they said was to be believed and to be obeyed. Notice how repeatedly I joined that together you believe those words and you will bathe them if you don't obey them. You don't truly believe them. How were they to know Paul says I came to you holding the office of an apostle and I vindicated my claim by the signs and wonders that I did in your midst. Therefore, you should not be questioning Paul saying to in the first century to the Corinthian church.

You have all of the proof that you need. I have been authenticated before you because I did the signs of a true apostle in your midst.

You are eyewitnesses of these things now beloved. That's just a survey there's more that we could set about this. I understand you look at Moses you look at Elijah. You look at Christ you look at the apostles and what you see is headed every key point at every revelatory episode that was taking place. God was using signs and wonders to vindicate these claims to be agents of revelation to him. They had a purpose. They had a reason for these things to occur. My friend Tom Pennington said this and I quote he said the miraculous gifts that accompanied the apostles were intended to confirm that they were God's genuine instrument of revelation, just as they had been with Moses with the Old Testament prophets Elijah and Elisha and with Jesus himself." There is a continuity in biblical times in biblical history. I'm emphasizing that were in a different age, now the apostles are gone, but in the course of biblical history, God use these miraculous signs to authenticate his spokesman. Now the presupposition the unspoken assumption that today's so-called workers of signs and wonders want you to believe is that God is authenticating his spokesman today in the exact same way so that they do staged events in order to vindicate their so-called claim to be a spokesman for God as well and the assumption is is that there is continuity to today from the biblical history of the signs that would show that they also are spokesman for God in the same way they would never really articulate it that way but that's what they're trying to do. They give you puff of smoke and some loud booms may knock a couple people over down at the front in front of the pulpit. You're supposed to say all those the work of God and therefore I must believe and follow this man is not the way it works today beloved is obvious as you read Scripture as you study these things all the way through that it is not the same today as it was back then and that the means of vindicating who God's true spokesman are today is now done differently than through signs and wonders will explain this more in future weeks. Here's what I want you to see is that God never intended signs and wonders to be the. The final and ongoing pattern by which a spokesman would be vindicated. We must understand the were in a different realm.

Now what are the qualifications. What are the marks for spiritual leadership today. According to the Bible. What are the marks that God has given his people. Today in the church to look for for the men that should be leading the people of God are the disappointing to signs and wonders, or is it something else.

Well, look at first Timothy chapter 3, first Timothy chapter 3 what are the qualifications of an elder. It would've been so simple.

If signs and wonders were supposed to be the enduring mark of spiritual leadership. It would be so simple for Paul to have said that here. But he points to something completely different in first Timothy chapter 3, a book that is designed to help us know how we are to conduct ourselves in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, look at first Timothy chapter 3 verse 15. I realize I'm I'm spending a couple of tops here but look at first Timothy chapter 3 verses 14 and 15, Paul writes to Timothy as an apostle with the authority than the of an apostle whose words are to be believed and obeyed. He says in verse 14. I'm writing these things to you hoping to come to you before long, but in case I am delayed I write so that you will know how one ought to conduct himself in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and support of the truth else take a breath here. But step back, Paul says, I'm writing to tell you how things would operate in the church after my departure. Paul was a man marked by signs and wonders that authenticated him as a spokesman of God right we sing that again and again. But when it comes looking forward to how things are to function in the church with the true people of God. How are the spokesman. Those who speak for God, not in a revelatory sense, but how our spiritual leaders to be identified.

He has just said that just prior to what I read in verses 14 and 15. He described this in chapter 3, verse one. He says it's a trustworthy statement. If any man aspires to the office of overseer. It's a fine work he desires to do and overseer then must do signs wonders and miracles. Just like the apostles did to verify his claim to spiritual authority that what it says answer me.

Is that what it says no that is not what it says this is not the signs and wonders are no longer the mark of of of of verified spiritual leadership. It's a different standard. Now the signs and wonders past with the apostolic office.

There is no longer new revelation being given. Because the apostles are gone. Instead spiritual leadership in the church is recognized by matters of character and ability, and having been tested by time.

Look at verse two and overseer then must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, prudent, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not addicted to wine or pugnacious but gentle, peaceable, free from the love of money. He must be one who manages his own household well keeping his children under control with all dignity, but if a man does not know how to manage his own household. How will he take care of the church of God and not a new convert so that he will not become conceited and fall into the condemnation incurred by the devil. Verse seven and he must have a good reputation with those outside the church so they will not fall into reproach and the snare of the devil. Love it. I intended this to be a separate message probably still preacher down the road soon in a few weeks, but you need to see that God through the apostle Paul. Paul, an authorized representative of Jesus Christ said, here are the marks of spiritual leadership going forward in the church of God. If anyone was in a position to emphasize that's true spiritual leadership going forward after the apostolic era would be verified by signs and wonders Paul to set it right here. He said you got a look for a guy who can do the signs just like Moses just like Elijah just like Jesus. And just like me doesn't say that it's obvious that a change has taken place and now spiritual authority. Spiritual leadership does not give new revelation because that ended with the apostles, but spiritual leadership is recognized by different criteria recognized by character proven over time. Recognized by ability and teaching the word of God proven over time recognized by by by matters of character that have been tested in daily life within a family, and with within life in the world that is now the new identifying mark spiritual leadership in the fact that a guy can can fake signs prophecies and wonders is no reason to follow him were looking for different qualifications within the church. Now, because the pattern has changed because the sign gifts are over and now there is a new Mark that God is given to his people to recognize the men that they should follow. In Titus chapter 1 you see the same thing being laid out again.

Paul tells Titus, I left in Creek so that you would set in order what remains and appoint elders in every city, as I directed you what you look for is your appointing elders Titus would want to know. Paul goes on to explain verse six and he gives a parallel summary much like the one in first Timothy three any man is above reproach, the husband of one wife, having children who believe not accused of dissipation or rebellion. The overseer must be above reproach as God's steward, not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not addicted to wine, not pugnacious, not fond of sordid gain and on and on it goes. The teaching element represented in verse nine holding fast the faithful word which is in accordance with the teaching so they will be able both to exhort in sound doctrine and to refute those who contradict the spirit of God works in a man over time to establish and does it in the context of the body of Christ in the body of believers. And that's how man is verified is verified by multiple witnesses who can attest to his character and ability over time, not because he can get up and make smoke appear out of the machine on a platform and so this is the idea. Here's the point for today here's the point. For now, the biblical history of sign gifts shows us that God use these miraculous wonders to verify his spokesman, but he limited it to the apostles that the endpoint was the apostles as shown by the fact that the you cannot replicate the apostolic qualifications now that Jesus is in heaven.

There are no eyewitness direct eye physical eyewitnesses of Jesus's resurrection. There are not people doing the same kinds of signs and wonders of verified an apostle in the first century God by his wisdom, by his design has now delivered us into something else, where he is stated plainly in his revealed inspired in errant authoritative word or spiritual leadership comes from to the people of God throughout the world going forward. It's examined in matters of character and teaching over time rather than from the signs and wonders, so we asked the question. While that's how they did it back in the Bible. How do they know back then signs and wonders how do you know it now. A man who has these kinds of character qualities that holds to and explains and and and and defends the final revealed doctrine contained in the old and new Testaments of the Bible. This is spiritual leadership is defined by Scripture itself.

And so we we we we learn we we realize we have to look for different qualifying signs for spiritual leaders today than that which God used back in if you understand that can make that distinction hold in your mind you will not be attracted to the Falstaff the predominates in this day and age, so that's why it's so important for us to come to God's word to consider it carefully and to exercise discernment in accordance with New Testament principles was pastor Don Greene has reminded us today. The identifying characteristics of Christ followers and leaders today are very different from those of old, we point to and highlight the completed work of Christ, as detailed in Scripture his work and that of his uniquely appointed apostles were attested to by miraculous signs and wonders will next time Don will have more to say about the finality of the apostles as we move further into her series the Holy Spirit today your on the truth. Pulpit don't miss a moment.

Right now Don's back your in studio with some closing words hi friend. As we close today. I just want to make something available to you, you know, as you listen to these radio broadcasts they have to fit into a 25 minute format were very grateful for the opportunity.

The Lords given us to do just that. But the radio messages are born out of a longer sermon message that contains more information, more background a fuller explanation of the passage and what were able to do on radio so I encourage you to go to our website and find the link that says follow Don's pulpit that'll lead you to a podcast that gives you the full length sermons from every Sunday and every Tuesday from my pulpit.

I really think that old minister to you over time to hear the full-length messages so we make that available for free and we would love you to join us in that way as well.

Thank you, Don and friend to take advantage of what Don just mentioned.

Just visit the truth. Pulpit.com that's the truth. Pulpit.com by Bill Wright will see you next time is gone continues teaching God's people in your on the truthful