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Home , Trophimus

FORMULA CHRISTIANITY :32-43 6/25/06

Big Idea: God works in different ways at different times according to His own choosing.

Purpose: To keep people from “formula” Christianity. To keep people from having false expectations of what God will do.

God works in different ways at different times according to His own choosing.

God doesn’t use a cookie cutter approach to life. He doesn’t always do the same thing the same way in every situation. We can’t put God in a box. He does things how and when He chooses. God doesn’t function according to formulas. God will do what He knows is best and in the way He chooses to do it. But God always does things in a way that ultimately promotes His eternal glory and our eternal good. 1. God Healed And In Different Ways. 9:32-43 Aeneas Dorcas Paralyzed dead A man (unbeliever?) a No good deed mentioned abounding with deeds of kindness and charity Public healing Private resuscitation “ heals you” No mention of Christ No prayer Peter knelt down and prayed God doesn’t work according to a particular formula. 2. God Works In Different Ways At Different Times. Some people say that since Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever (Hebrews 13:8) we can expect Him to do everything today that He has done in the past. Same gifts, miracles, healings, speaking in tongues They think that because God healed one person a particular way in the past, we can count on Him doing the same today. Yet we see over and over again in the that God works different ways at different times according to His own choosing. God can perform miracles at anytime, but they have been common during only brief four periods of history. The Exodus Generation (Moses and Joshua) The Divided Kingdom Period (Elijah and Elisha) The Exile Generation (Daniel and his three friends) The Era (Jesus and the Apostles) God could use people to do miracles at any time, but He has chosen to do so only during three brief periods of history and then those periods seem to stop. Paul was enabled by God to heal people at one point in his ministry, but later on he no longer had that ability. Paul himself was unable to be healed of his “thorn in the flesh.” 2 Corinthians 12;7-10 He instructed Timothy to take a little wine for his stomach’s sake and because of his frequent illnesses. 1 Timothy 5:23 Paul had to leave Trophimus sick at Miletus. :20 In addition God may choose to heal one person and not another. He supernaturally healed my grandmother of terminal cancer after she trusted Christ, but my grandfather trusted Christ when he had cancer and died 4 weeks later. God may supernaturally deliver one person and not another.

2 Peter and John were supernaturally delivered from jail and death (), but Stephen was killed for his faith. () Dorcas was raised from the dead while Stephen wasn’t. God could have used Peter to raise Stephen from the dead if He had chosen to. It is easy for us at times to think that God is unfair when we compare ourselves to others. 1 Kings 19:10, 14, 18 Elijah focused on the unfaithfulness of some people without seeing that many others were just as faithful to God as he was. It is easy to get our eyes on others and feel sorry for ourselves. “I’ve been faithful to God and lose my job and that other person is a bad testimony at work and he gets the promotions and raises.” “I’m sacrificing and going without things in order to give money to the church building fund, but they are buying new houses and cars and going on fancy vacations.” John 21:18-22 Peter was concern that Jesus told him that he would be martyred for the faith that but John would die of old age. In effect Jesus told Peter, “Get your eyes off others and follow me.” God loves all of us equally, but uses us in different ways for His eternal purposes. Comparing ourselves to others is a cancer that destroys our joy and our walk with God. God is sovereign. He will do what He knows is best and in the way He chooses to do it. God always does things in a way that ultimately promotes His eternal glory and our eternal good. 3. God’s Ways Are Limited Only By His Character And By His Word. a. God is righteous and all He does is just. Psalm 11:7

3 b. God is love and all He does is for our ultimate good. Romans 5:8; 8:32; 1 John 3:16; 4:9-10 c. God is true, and all He does will be consistent with His word. Cf Hebrews 6:18; Titus 1:2 He will always do what he says He will do in the way He says He will do it. He will never do what He has promised not to do. He promises to never leave us nor forsake us. Hebrews 13:5 He promises to work all things together for our eternal good and His eternal glory. Romans 8:28 He promises to answer our prayers in accordance with His will and our eternal good. John 16:24; 1 John 5:14 God’s actions are limited only by His character and His word. Beware of religious fads, programs and pat formulas. God doesn’t function according to formulas. Beware of thinking that God always does the same thing the same way. God can’t be put in a box. Remember, God is a person, not simply a power to be plugged into. He does things how and when He chooses. God will do what He knows is best and in the way He chooses to do it. The only limitations on God are His character and His word. 4. Miracles Don’t Automatically Produce Faith. 35, 42 In both of the healings in Acts 9 people came to faith. This is not always the case. Trusting Christ is not just about having enough evidence. It also has to do with a person’s heart.

4 The Exodus generation saw miracle after miracle, but these miracles never produced the faith necessary for them to confront the next difficulty. They were always murmuring, complaining, and rebelling. After the miracle on Mount Carmel, Jezebel sought to kill Elijah rather than bow before the one true God. In John 6 Jesus the crowds saw Jesus’ miracles but rejected His message. 2 They followed Him because they saw the signs which He was performing on the sick. 9-13 They experienced the feeding of the 5000 35-36, 41, 59-61, 66 They rejected Christ and His message Matthew 11:21-24 "Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles had occurred in Tyre and Sidon which occurred in you, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. 22 "Nevertheless I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment than for you. 23 "And you, Capernaum, will not be exalted to heaven, will you? You will descend to Hades; for if the miracles had occurred in Sodom which occurred in you, it would have remained to this day. 24 "Nevertheless I say to you that it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for you." Jesus’ healing of Lazarus didn’t produce faith in the , it produced a threat. John 11:38-50 cf 12:9-10 Jesus was a threat to their positions and lifestyles. The issue is not always the evidence but a person’s heart. What will you do with Jesus?

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