Title:

Title: Signs, Wonders, and Miracles - Conclusion

Summary: Jesus' identity, message, and ministry has divine authority as demonstrated by his signs, wonders, and miracles. He conferred authority onto his Apostles to spread his message, which was confirmed by signs, wonders and miracles, which means that their message in scripture is God's word, and any other message is false and not from God. Therefore, we need to read and live by that message.

Text: Various

Scripture Reading: 2 Tim 3:13-16

Intro:

1. Will wrap up this series on miracles this morning

2. We have seen a lot of lessons from the miracles of Christ

a. To show that the kingdom of God had come upon them

b. To bear witness to his identity & authority as the Messiah, Son of Man

c. To bear witness to the authenticity of the message

d. To set free those in bondage and in need - demons, sickness, sin

e. As an object lesson to teach important truths

- That if you want true life, turn to Jesus the bread of life

- That scripture is not about arbitrary rules, but point to Christ

- Be courageous and testify of Jesus as the great healer, Messiah

- The God desires compassion over sacrifice

3. The ultimate miracle/sign was his resurrection

a. Mt 12:39 - Jesus called it the sign of Jonah - 3 days, he will come back

b. Lk 11:30 - Just as Jonah was a sign to Ninevites, Jesus would be a

sign to this generation

c. Ninevah repented in sackcloth and ashes, they were spared

d. Question - What will you do about it? What does God want you to do?

4. Jesus' mission did not end with his resurrection, it was just beginning

a. Final lesson on his signs, they didn't end with his resurrection and ascension

b. Jesus appointed those he called his apostles

I. Jesus gave authority to those he called "Apostles"

A. (Mt 10:1f)

1. (v.2) - Called, "Apostles" (Lk 6:13 - Jesus gave them this title)

a. Jesus not make up the word, not inherently religious

b. It meant an official envoy with authority of sender

c. Caesar could send an apostle to foreign king

- If you dishonor apostle, you dishonor Caesar

- Agreement with apostle, make with Caesar

- Message of Apostle is from Caesar himself

d. So, it is appropriate that the 12 were "apostles"

2. Jesus gave them his authority

a. (v.7) - To preach Kingdom of Heaven is at hand

b. (v.8) - Heal sick, raise dead, cleanse lepers, cast demons

c. They given authority to do what Jesus did

3. (v.11-15) Their message carries the weight of divine authority

a. To accept it is to receive God's blessing

b. Will be worse off that Sodom & Gommorah if reject it

B. The Apostles continued the next phase of Christ's mission

1. (Acts 1:8) but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth."

a. Jesus calls them "witnesses" a legal term

b. They would witness to Jesus' identity and message

c. Their testimony will go to the ends of the earth

d. Holy Spirit would empower them, testify

2. Their signs show they have authority given by Christ

a. Acts 2 - First Gospel Sermon, accompanied by signs

b. Acts 2:42-43 They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles' teaching …many wonders and signs were taking place through the apostles.

c. Acts 4:33 And with great power the apostles were giving testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus

d. Acts 5:12 At the hands of the apostles many signs and wonders were taking place among the people

C. Jesus called another apostle directly - Saul of Tarsus

1. Acts 9:15 But the Lord said to him, "Go, for he is a chosen instrument of Mine, to bear My name before the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel;

2. Acts 13:2-3 the Holy Spirit said, "Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them. Then, when they had fasted and prayed and laid their hands on them, they sent them away.

3. Acts 14:3 Therefore they spent a long time {there} speaking boldly {with reliance} upon the Lord, who was testifying to the word of His grace, granting that signs and wonders be done by their hands. (v.10)

4. Gal 1:1 Paul, an apostle (not {sent} from men nor through the agency of man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised Him from the dead)

D. So, the message of the Apostles, including Paul, had all the authority of Christ

1. It was backed up by signs, wonders, and miracles

a. Did Same kind of signs as Jesus

b. Healed sick and cast out demons

c. They spoke out boldly as Jesus did

2. Issue - What happens when the Apostles die?

II. The Message is preserved and handed down in scripture

A. (2 Pet 1:16-21) For we did not follow cleverly devised tales when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of His majesty. For when He received honor and glory from God the Father, such an utterance as this was made to Him by the Majestic Glory, "This is My beloved Son with whom I am well-pleased"-- and we ourselves heard this utterance made from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain. {So} we have the prophetic word {made} more sure, to which you do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star arises in your hearts. But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is {a matter} of one's own interpretation, for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.

1. Apostles were eyewitnesses, they heard God's voice

2. They were moved by the Spirit as they spoke

3. Their message and religion was not a human invention

4. Their words in writing had divine authority - "HOLY" Bible

B. Jesus promised them the Spirit to guide them

1. (John 14:26) But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.

a. All scripture is by men moved by the Spirit

b. It is not a human invention

2. Books of the New Testament written by an Apostle, or close

associate of Apostles who wrote Apostles words down for them

3. Apostle Paul also given authority and the Spirit, his writings are also considered scripture

a. (2 Pet 3:16) as also in all {his} letters, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which the untaught and unstable distort, as {they do} also the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction.

b. Paul's writings are also the word of God

4. Holy Spirit guided Apostles to pass on God's message faithfully

C. ILL: Teachers do not shoot from the hip, they are trained

1. Part of their teaching plan involves a written curriculum

a. Based on standards of what students need to know

b. There are objectives, and a teacher's guide

c. Helps remind them of all the things to teach

d. Can review the plans and curriculum, and teach

2. The Holy Spirit was kind of like that

a. Purpose was to remind the Apostles all that the Lord taught

b. Would guide them into all truth

c. Would move them to teach word of God accurately

3. Their teaching was preserved in writing

D. Their teaching bears the status of scripture

1. Oral teaching of Jesus and apostles were committed to writing

2. Some of them taught by writing letters

3. Their writings bear authority of Heaven and are trustworthy

4. There is a reason why this is called "Holy Bible"

a. Means, "Sacred Book" or "Different Book"

b. Heb 4:12 - Living and active - Not like other writings

c. 1 Pet 2:2 - It is pure milk - Milk for the soul, only it grow

d. 2 Tim 3:16 - It is God-breathed - Breath of God is life

III. The Signs of Christ have served their purpose

A. Signs bore witness to Christ's identity and for his apostles

B. Once committed to writing, the message was completed

1. (Jude 1:3) Beloved, while I was making every effort to write you about our common salvation, I felt the necessity to write to you appealing that you contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints.

a. Focus on phrase - "once for all"

b. No latter day revelations, faith was a complete entity

c. From that point forward, the job is to hand it down

2. (Gal 1:7-8) there are some who are disturbing you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed!

a. There is only one Gospel, it was given by Apostles

b. There is nothing more to add to it

c. Anyone who teaches a contrary Gospel is accursed

3. (2 Pet 1:2-4) Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord; seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of {the} divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust.

a. God has given us all we need

b. Father who cares for us, Son who forgives

c. Spirit who transforms us, brethren to encourage

d. Word of God to guide us

4. This is why the signs and miracles stopped with Apostles

a. Purpose was to bear witness, or testify validity

b. Heb 2:3-4 how will we escape if we neglect so great a salvation? After it was at the first spoken through the Lord, it was confirmed to us by those who heard, God also testifying with them, both by signs and wonders and by various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit according to His own will.

c. Jesus, Apostles, and their message verified by God's testimony through signs wonders and miracles

C. ILL: Once you go to court, judgment handed down, it is over right?

1. Do you need to prove innocence every time you meet someone

2. It is a matter of record, it is settled legally, you read transcripts

a. The Bible is the transcript

b. God has testified through signs, wonders, miracles

c. He has fulfilled prophecies through Christ

3. Jesus identity, message, and that of his Apostles a matter of

record, it is settled -therefore there are not more signs

a. Remember the purpose of empowering people to perform

signs wonders and miracles

b. It was to testify to their divine authority

c. The Lord, Christ, and apostles he appointed with authority

d. Ministry is complete, therefore no need for signs

4. This is not to say God is not involved in our lives

a. He still answers prayers and still moves in our lives

b. Still moves in powerful ways

c. But, it is not signs for a new message. That is done

D. God's final word is Christ, handed down through Apostles

1. The faith has been handed down, Bible is complete

2. Scripture is our guide and authority to serve God

3. This is how we know the Bible is the word of God

Concl:

1. What does this all mean?

2. Bible is the word of God, our creator, designer

a. Tells you who you are, and what you need

b. Sin and death is our problem, Gospel is the solution

c. The Bible says that when you die, that is not the end

d. Bible tells you what you need to do. What will you do? (inv)

3. If responded to the Gospel, then your life patterned after Christ

a. His example and instructions are in this book, the Holy Bible

b. There is a lot of false information out there about who you are, about life, what is right and wrong, etc.

c. Truth is found in God's word, he has testified to it with signs, wonders

4. Challenge - Read it, know it, master it, let it guide you

(2 Tim 3:13-16) But evil men and impostors will proceed {from bad} to worse, deceiving and being deceived. You, however, continue in the things you have learned and become convinced of, knowing from whom you have learned {them,} and that from childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness;