## A Ministry Without Miracles

## John 10:39-42

There is a great deal of attention given to ministries of miracles in this age. Some folks believe if a church or a preacher is not constantly and consistently performing miracles he is either an apostate, or at least serving the Lord in an unacceptable fashion.

That which a church or pastor teaches or preaches must line up with Scripture or it is marked as being apostasy according to the Bible.

Definition: a miracle is a supernatural intrusion into the natural law that can have no other explanation other than that God is acting. Anything that carries the label of miracles must be authenticated by the Word of God or it is not of God.

I want you to see a very interesting phrase in Vs. 41 concerning the ministry of John the Baptist. "John did no miracle." If there ever was a man of God who would have been qualified to perform great and many miracles it would have been John the Baptist, yet the Holy Spirit recorded, "John did no miracle."

We do not see anywhere that John fell into sin. He did not go astray and betray the Lord. He did not deny the Lord. He did not run off with another man's wife. He did not have an affair with the secretary. He did not do anything that would damage his testimony for the Lord. John was a pretty straight man, yet he did no miracles.

(LUKE 1:17) "AND HE SHALL GO BEFORE HIM IN THE SPIRIT AND POWER OF ELIAS, TO TURN THE HEARTS OF THE FATHERS TO THE CHILDREN, AND THE DISOBEDIENT TO THE WISDOM OF THE JUST; TO MAKE READY A PEOPLE PREPARED FOR THE LORD."

This verse is speaking of John the Baptist. Elijah was a miracle worker. John the Baptist had the spirit and power of Elijah; therefore, he could have worked miracles had it been the will of God, but he didn't. Therefore, the working of miracles does not constitute the power of God on the ministry of a man of God. Neither does it prove the favor of God on that ministry. We see much of miracle working on the religious TV today. If the truth was known to mankind, we would see that none of it is of the spirit and power that Elijah had; it is not of God. If a ministry is not of God, where does it come from? Hell, or at least of the flesh.

(MAT 1:11) "VERILY I SAY UNTO YOU, AMONG THEM THAT ARE BORN OF WOMEN THERE HATH NOT RISEN A GREATER THAN JOHN THE BAPTIST: NOTWITHSTANDING HE THAT IS LEAST IN THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN IS GREATER THAN HE."

John got the highest marks of all men of past and present. There has never been one greater, yet he did no miracles. Maybe miracles don't mean as much as some would have us to think they do.

I. He Was A Man Sent From God

Note: John 1:6-8

A. God Is More Interested In Our Witness Than Our Miracles.

1. John came to be a witness.

2. (John 3:30) "He must increase, but I must decrease."

3. There is not mention of a title of "John the Baptist Ministries."

4. You know why? Because it wasn't his ministry; it was the Lord's.

5. When we see "John Doe Ministries", I wonder where the Lord fits into that thing. I sometimes doubt that He does.

6. John said, "It doesn't even matter if anyone knows who I am, my purpose is to make the Light of Christ shine brighter."

B. John Was More Interested In His Calling Than His Lifestyle. Cf Mt. 3:1-6

1. Notice in Vs. 4, "And the same John had his raiment of camel's hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins; and his meat was locusts and wild honey."

2. Where is that type of lifestyle today?

3. You don't see it in any of the miracle workers on TV. They all wear white suits, 500 dollar shoes, and drive Cadillacs, or maybe Rolls Royce.

4. Not John, yet he was sent from God.

5. We see the spirit of materialism everywhere.

6. Not only in the Charismatic ranks, but more and more in the Independent movement.

7. We do not need the best of everything in order to be approved of God.

8. Camel's hair clothing is sufficient for God.

II. He Was Filled With The Holy Ghost

(LUKE 1:15) "FOR HE SHALL BE GREAT IN THE SIGHT OF THE LORD, AND SHALL DRINK NEITHER WINE NOR STRONG DRINK; AND HE SHALL BE FILLED WITH THE HOLY GHOST, EVEN FROM HIS MOTHER'S WOMB."

- He did no miracle, yet he was filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother's womb.
- Therefore, we must admit that the filling of the Holy Ghost does not constitute the working of miracles.

A. What is the purpose of the Holy Spirit filling?

(ACTS 1:8) "BUT YE SHALL RECEIVE POWER, AFTER THAT THE HOLY GHOST IS COME UPON YOU: AND YE SHALL BE WITNESSES UNTO ME BOTH IN JERUSALEM, AND IN ALL JUDAEA, AND IN SAMARIA, AND UNTO THE UTTERMOST PART OF THE EARTH."

1. The evidence of the fullness of the Spirit is not the working of miracles, but the witnessing of the believer to the lost.

2. The Charismatics can make all the claim they want to concerning the filling of the Holy Ghost and the speaking of tongues, but the Bible says that those who have the fullness of the Spirit of God will be witness for Christ.

3. To attempt to make the filling of the Holy Ghost any other response is to intentionally misconstrue the Scriptures.

4. If the Bible doesn't teach it, then it is not to be taught.

B. The Filling Of The Holy Ghost Is Necessary To Fulfill The Purpose Of The Christian.

1. To successfully live the Christian life you must be filled with the Holy Ghost of God.

2. In Ephesians we find the responsibility of a Christian husband, wife, family, and servant.

3. None of this will be accomplished without the command of Eph 5:18.

4. John did no miracle, but he was filled with the Holy Ghost.

III. He Had The Approval Of Jesus On His Ministry cf Mt. 11:7-11

A. Jesus gave John the Baptist the greatest of efficiency reports. "There is not greater than John the Baptist."

1. What a blessing to have the approval of Jesus on our ministry and work.

2. Do we have that approval on our ministries?

3. Would Jesus say that about us?

B. His Message was from God.

1. Repentance. Cf Mt. 3:1-6

2. He Preached Against Sin.

(MAT 14:3-4) "FOR HEROD HAD LAID HOLD ON JOHN, AND BOUND HIM, AND PUT HIM IN PRISON FOR HERODIAS' SAKE, HIS BROTHER PHILIP'S WIFE. {4} FOR JOHN SAID UNTO HIM, IT IS NOT LAWFUL FOR THEE TO HAVE HER."

3. He Pointed Men To Christ.

(LUKE 1:16) "AND MANY OF THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL SHALL HE TURN TO THE LORD THEIR GOD." [8]

Do you know Christ as your Savior? Have you trusted in Him? The purpose of this ministry is to point men and women; boys and girls to Christ. Have you accepted Christ as your personal Savior? If not, will you come today and receive Him?

John did no miracles, but he was sent by God, filled with the Holy Ghost, and approved by Jesus Christ. Christians, we have the privilege of being in the service of our Lord. We have the call of God upon our lives, the filling of the Spirit of God to enable us, and we look for the approval of God upon all that we do. Is God pleased with our service to Him? Are we faithfully witnessing for Him.