The Vineyard Church of North Grand Rapids, MI

Christianity's Good News isn't just that God loves us (though he is so loving that the Apostle John says "God is love") . . . it's not just that God is willing to forgive us our sins (though I, for one, am especially grateful for his grace) . . . it's not just that we can go to heaven when we die (though I'm getting old enough now to appreciate this promise).  The best of the good news is that God has taken on human nature and invaded our world . . . to reveal his heart, to destroy the Devil's works, and to advance his kingdom.

When Jesus came preaching Good News in the first chapter of Mark (vv. 14-15), the good news was that God's kingdom was at hand-within our reach-if only we would stop living like God was far away, too busy, or unconcerned with our needs.  If only we would surrender our cynicism or our fatalism.  So Jesus declared: "Repent.  Believe the good news!"  The kingdom of heaven has come to earth.  Think of God's kingdom, not as a place, but as his presence and power at work in our world to set things right.  God's presence and power is here-right in the middle of our messed up world.  The future has invaded the present.  Everything reserved for us in heaven some day can be tasted and glimpsed and experienced now.  Not completely, but in part.  This isn't heaven, but anything promised in heaven can happen now that God's kingdom has come.  So pray for healing and deliverance, give generously to the poor, study my words, and join me in doing my Father's works.  Whatever your condition or circumstances, refuse to settle for the status quo.  Pray to the Father, ‘Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven".

We're now in the fifth week of our fall spiritual growth campaign, growing in our ability to partner with God in his advancing kingdom-seeing people saved from sin's penalty, physically healed, freed from addictions, freed from demonic torment, freed from grinding poverty.  This fall teaching series is called Naturally Supernatural, after Gary Best's book by the same title.

Some people tend to think that partnering with God in powerful ways requires that we change . . . that we begin to act big-at least bigger than we are.  We need to change the way we dress and talk-to present ourselves as powerful men and women of faith.  We need to talk louder and speak with more confidence, and use lots of Bible words in our vocabulary.   We need to change our lifestyle-to spend more time in church and less time having fun.  If we struggle with sin, it's best to lead people to believe that struggles are a part of our distant past, almost hard to remember at this point.  Some people think that partnering with God means that we need to get more serious with ourselves and more strict with other people . . . because religion is all about being serious and strict, right?

Actually, Jesus came to earth to make the supernatural more understandable, more common, more accessible to common people who didn't go to church much, or even at all.  Jesus didn't come to start a religion.  

The best way to partner with Jesus in supernatural ways is to act like he did-so natural that he made religious people nervous, even frustrated and angry.  Act natural when you worship, pray, or explain your faith.  Don't try to act like a priest or a pastor or a television evangelist. Don't act like you have two lives-your normal life, and your religious life.  Dress like a normal person, not like someone stuck in the '70's.  Talk like a man or a woman who has interesting hobbies, not like a person who never goes to a movie or reads a novel.  Be honest about your life-what's working and what's not.  Talk about Jesus the way you talk about your kids.  Pray to God like you talk to people at work.  Be real.  When you're looking, and acting, and talking naturally, you'll be at your best when you tell people about Jesus, that he's interested and involved, that no one is beyond God's grace, and that healing really happens when we pray.

TRANS: This morning I'd like to speak to the concern/challenge that God's powerful acts were limited to Jesus and his Twelve apostles, not normal people like us.  Many people in conservative churches-the kind that are very common in West Michigan-believe and teach that God is not working in supernatural ways today, not giving spiritual gifts today, and that praying for healing and deliverance is just a distraction for everyday, ordinary Christians like us.  For ordinary people like us, Christianity is about going to church, studying the Bible, and being as good as we can be.  Miracles were for another time and place, for people like Jesus and the Apostles, not for men and women like us today.  The good news, as I understand it, is shocking but true.
 
I.  GOD IS STILL LOOKING FOR PARTNERS

A.  Jesus and the Apostles simply wrote the ministry manual-people with day jobs took it to work (Acts 6:8; 8:4-8; 21:7-9).

1.  Immediately after Pentecost, Peter and John began to do what Jesus did, only Jesus wasn't there any more.  Instead, they partnered with the Holy Spirit whom Jesus had sent.  But, as soon as the Apostles, like Peter and John began to do the stuff that Jesus did, other people began to follow the Apostles' example-like they were modeling a lifestyle and ministry for everyone.

2.  Normally, in W MI churches, deacons get saddled with facility and financial needs.  They're the guys and gals who make sure the roof doesn't leak, the bills get paid, and parking is adequate.  Stephen and Philip were among the first deacons in the first church (not apostles).  Apparently they didn't know that only Mighty Men of Power get to pray for the sick and cast our demons.  Cf. Acts 6:1-6, 8; 8:4-8.   

Philip took things even further.  He did not believe that the supernatural was reserved for Jesus, the Apostles, or even his generation.  So, he coached his four unmarried daughters in listening for God's voice and sharing prophecies with people-thoughts they believed they received from God to give people strength, encouragement, and comfort.  Cf. Acts 21:7-9.  That's kingdom parenting-not just taking your kids to church or sending them to youth group, but mentoring them in kingdom ministry until they become your ministry partners.

We're practicing with worship and spiritual gifts, prophecy and healing here on Sunday mornings.  Some of you think that kingdom ministry is the special privilege of pastors and conference speakers.  This Holy Spirit stuff should be reserved for church.  But, if Philip and his daughters were here this morning, they'd say, "The real breakthrough comes when you take this stuff home and teach it to your kids, when you take it to work, and introduce the guys and gals to the King's healing power on a lunch break.

B.  Acts is only the first chapter in the book-churches all over the ancient world were writing new chapters (I Corinthians 12:7-11; Galatians 3:5)

Because I've been to Calvin College and several seminaries, I know that some people will say, "Yeah, but that was the book of Acts, and some of the stuff that happened in Acts really was exceptional.  That was a special time in the history of God's purposes and we shouldn't think that the miraculous would be part of every church's ministry and every Christian's life.  WHAT HAPPENS IN ACTS, STAYS IN ACTS!"

A difficulty with that position is that Paul tells the Corinthians, in chapter 12, that they could expect the Holy Spirit to give gifts of healing and miracles and prophecy to whomever he chooses. 

I know that some people in W MI will say, "Yes, but Corinth was one badly screwed up church.  You shouldn't try to use the church in Corinth as a positive example of church life today".  Of course, the church in Corinth had some very serious problems.  But the fact that God was so generous as to give them all of the gifts of the Spirit reveals, not how mature they were, but how gracious God is.  But let's leave Corinthians 12-14 out of the argument for now.

3.  Were other churches in the ancient world experiencing the supernatural?    Let's look together at Paul's letter to the Christians in the Galatian churches.  The letter called Galatians was written to a collection of churches scatterd around the region of Galatia-modern Turkey

Galatians 3:1-5.  You might want to underline verse 5!  At the point of writing this letter, Paul is not in Galatia and, as far as we know, none of the other Apostles are there either.  Paul is aware that people, in a variety of local churches scattered around Galatia, were regularly seeing miracles because they believed what they had heard: Jesus is the OT's promised King.  With his coming, his death, his resurrection, his ascension, and his sending of the Holy Spirit: the kingdom of heaven is definitely within your reach!  When you see a need that only God can meet, reach for the supernatural.  Keep reaching for the supernatural until it becomes natural!

TRANS: Did the miraculous end with the lives of those recorded in the Bible?  Not if we believe the witness of the church fathers who, like the Apostles, often died as martyrs rather than recant what they saw with their own eyes.  The church fathers lead us to believe that . . .

C.  The New Testament is just the first book on the shelf-the story is still being written by people like us.

Justin Martyr (100-165), "For numberless demoniacs throughout the whole world, in your city, many of our Christian men exorcising them in the name of Jesus Christ . . . have healed and do heal . . . ."  "For the prophetical gifts remain with us, even to the present time".  "I have already said, and do again say, that it has been prophesied that this would be done by Him after His ascension to heaven.  It is accordingly said, ‘He ascended on high, He led captivity captive, He have gifts unto the sons of men'."  "Now, it is possible to see amonst us women and men who possess gifts of the Spirit of God".

Iraneaus (140-203), "For some do certainly and truly drive out devils, so that those who have thus been cleansed from evil spirits frequently join themselves to the Church.  Others have foreknowledge of things to come: they see visions and utter prophetic expressions.  Others till, heal the sick by laying their hands upon them, and they are made whole".

Augustine (354-30), In his writings on the City of God, Augustine states, "It is sometimes objected that the miracles, which Christians claimed to have occurred, no longer happen".  Augustine responds, "The truth is that even today miracles are being wrought in the name of Christ . . . ."  He then goes on to tell of a blind man receiving sight, a women healed of breast cancer, a man healed of paralysis and a hernia, a man run over by a cart miraculously healed, and several demonized people set free.

TRANS: All this to say that God is still looking for partners-average men and women with day jobs who will take the good news to work and pray for the sick wherever they find them.


II.  Are you ready to repent and believe the good news (Mark 1:15)?

There's a whole lot of thinking . . . discussing . . . and debating going on.  Remember, men and women who believe the good news act on it.

Get prayer for a chronic condition.  Remember Naaman, going 7x into the Jordan.  Delays aren't denials.

2.  Register for healing prayer training, November 16-17

3. Some of you are starting to take risks at home, at school, at work, and in the neighborhood.

B.  ILLUS: Matt VanderPol


III.  LET'S TAKE THE GOOD NEWS OUTSIDE!

Christians tend to get weird-overly serious or just plain silly-if they spend too much time in church.

A.  Ask God for kingdom app0intments.  Just make it a regular part of your morning routine.  "Lord, give me very natural opportunities to talk about you to people outside the church.  Give me the courage to speak openly to sick people about your kingdom". 


B.  Look and listen for needs that only God can meet.  Illus: praying for a businessman in trouble, a waitress with panic attacks, a brother who injured his back.


C.  Ask God to give you what is needed.  A message of comfort or encouragement.  A prayer for healing or restoration.


D.  Take the risk to offer what you have.  You'll generally feel like the boy with a couple dinner rolls and several sardines.  You'll have to trust God to turn your small gift into a miracle.  Be courageous.  Don't worry about the results.  Be Persistent.


E.  Be natural.

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