Divine Invasions – Part 2

Guest (Male): Hey podcast listeners, thanks for streaming today’s podcast from Pathway to Victory. Pathway to Victory is a nonprofit ministry featuring the Bible teaching of Dr. Robert Jeffress. Our mission is to pierce the darkness with the light of God’s word through the most effective media available, like this podcast. To support Pathway to Victory, go to ptv.org/donate or follow the link in our show notes. Now, here’s today’s podcast from Pathway to Victory.
Dr. Robert Jeffress: Hi, this is Robert Jeffress and I’m glad to study God’s word with you every day on this Bible teaching program. On today’s edition of Pathway to Victory, maybe you’ve had that kind of experience before. What I call a divine invasion, a time that God supernaturally intervened in your life with supernatural power or protection or provision or physical healing. Have you had that kind of a divine invasion? They’re not common. We recognize that they are few and far between, but the question is do they happen at all?
David: Welcome to Pathway to Victory with author and pastor Dr. Robert Jeffress. When it comes to prayer, we often ask God for the small things. But we tend to hold back on the big, seemingly impossible requests. Perhaps we’re afraid of being disappointed. Today on Pathway to Victory, Dr. Robert Jeffress shows us we can bring even our boldest requests to God and ask him with confidence. But first, let’s take a moment to hear some important ministry updates.
Dr. Robert Jeffress: Thanks David and welcome again to Pathway to Victory. Yesterday we began a brand new series I’ve called Divine Invasions. We settled an important question. Does God still work miracles today? And I told you plainly, I believe he does. But this raises another question. When we throw around the word miracle today, we hardly know what we mean by it. Today I want to take you straight to the scriptures to find the meaning. As we do, you’ll discover that the answer is richer than you might expect and it will change how you recognize God’s hand at work in your own life. Just after my message, I’m going to offer a brand new book I wrote while preparing for this series. And I believe without question, this book Divine Invasions belongs in your collection. First, however, I can’t pass up this opportunity to invite you to join me on the vacation of a lifetime. Time is running short to join us on the Pathway to Victory Journeys of Paul Mediterranean Cruise, May 14th through the 23rd, 2027. Now I know what you might be thinking. Pastor Jeffress, the holidays are right around the corner. But that’s actually what makes this the perfect time to act. Securing your spot on this cruise could be the most meaningful Christmas gift you’ve ever given to someone you love. Trust me, it’s a gift they will never forget. We’ve planned the perfect balance of spiritual enrichment and relaxation and you can make all the arrangements by going to ptv.org. Okay, let's get started with our next study on miracles. I titled today's message: Divine Invasions. As you look in scripture, you find that there are four Greek words that are translated in some way as a miracle. The first word is the word that is translated mighty works. It's the Greek word dunamis. We get our word dynamite from it. A mighty work. That's a supernatural work that cannot be duplicated by natural agents. A second word that is used in the Bible for miracles is signs. It simply refers to supernatural works that tell us something about the performer of those works. For example, one of the signs of a true apostle, remember there was no scripture in the New Testament times, one of the signs of the apostle was his ability to perform signs. 2 Corinthians 12:12, "The signs of a true apostle were performed among you with all perseverance, by signs and wonders and miracles." The third word is translated wonders, teras in Greek. It’s a word that means literally to be open-mouthed, to stand agape. Have you ever seen something that just took your breath away? You just stood there and went, "I can’t believe it." That's what a wonder is. The word refers to the response of people to miracles. Fourthly, the word works or erga. This is a word, works, erga, that is used almost exclusively of the miracles Jesus performed. The Bible said there were certain miracles that the Messiah would perform and this would be like a neon sign pointing to Jesus. He's the one. The point is that these works were given to Jesus to do to prove he was the Messiah. In John 10 verses 37 and 38, John wrote quoting Jesus, "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 am in the Father." Now those are the four Greek words that are translated or associated with miracles. There is a fifth word that although it's not found in the Bible, its principle is woven throughout the Bible. And it's the word providence. Have you ever heard people talk about divine providence? Many of our nation's forefathers talked about providence. Providence means to see beforehand. It refers to God's ability to see beforehand what happens to us. Isn't that a comforting thought? That God knows ahead of time. That when something unexpected happens to you, something tragic, something tragic happens to me, God doesn't slap his forehead and said, "Oh, I can't believe that happened to Robert. Boy, he's in a pickle now. What is he going to do?" That's not God. God is not surprised at all. He sees around the curve in the mountain. He sees it all. You know why? Because he’s planned it all. The reason God knows what is ahead for us is because he has planned what is ahead for us. Now some people get all nervous about that. Oh, free will. Are you saying we're just puppets and blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. I don't understand all that. But what I do understand is it's a lot more comforting to believe in a God who is in control of what happens to us than a God who can't control what happens to us. Wouldn't you feel terrible if you thought you were out in this universe on your own? That you were free to be attacked by bad circumstances or bad people, that there was no one controlling what anyone or anything did to you? I would much rather believe in a God who is in control of everything in his universe. And fortunately, that’s the God of the Bible. The God of the Bible not only knew what his followers were doing, he planned their futures for them. God's providence refers to his control over all creation. And you see that in three specific examples in scripture. First of all, in Genesis 37 through 50, look at the life of Joseph. Think about Joseph, what a remarkable story. He's left for dead by his brothers and yet God used that to bring him into Potiphar's household as the chief steward over all of Potiphar's affairs. While he was doing that, he gets falsely accused of rape, is thrown into a prison, but there he meets somebody who will change his future and play a role in getting him released from prison. And by happenstance, he happens to gather the notice of Pharaoh and Pharaoh makes him the Prime Minister of Egypt. And because he's Prime Minister of Egypt, he comes up with a plan to store wheat in the seven years of plenty and that wheat is used to feed the entire world in a period of famine. And included in the people who were fed through Joseph's provision were his father and his brothers who were the nucleus of the nation of Israel. Had none of that happened, there would have been no Israel. There would have been no Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ. It would have all been destroyed. And I think about those words in Genesis 45:8, when Joseph's brothers finally realize they were talking to their own brother Joseph. Remember what Joseph said: "Don't be angry with yourself. It is God, not you, who sent me to this place. You meant it for evil, but God used it for good to bring about this present result to preserve many people alive." God was at work throughout the life of Joseph. You see that also in the story of Moses. You see God's providence. Here Pharaoh issues an edict to kill all the Hebrew babies. Moses' parents put him in that wicker basket, cover it with tar, put it in the Nile River and by chance, by chance, Pharaoh's daughter is bathing in the Nile, sees the wicker basket, takes Moses to be a part of Pharaoh's household. And God uses those 40 years to prepare Moses for the great exodus. Or look at Acts chapter 16, the story of Paul and Silas in Philippi. Many of us have been to the ruins of that jail in Philippi where Paul and Silas were imprisoned. And remember at midnight they were singing praises to God and the earthquake came and it loosened the shackles on Paul and Silas and all of the prisoners and set them free. People say, "Well, there's nothing miraculous there. Earthquakes happen all the time. It's just the tectonic plates shifting. That's all it is." Reminds me of that professor in college, in Bible college, who was trying to convince his students that the Red Sea miracle wasn't really a miracle. And I heard this in college. It wasn't the Red Sea, it was the Reed Sea. And the Reed Sea was only three inches deep. And somebody raised their hand and said, "Well, professor, that means it’s even a greater miracle." He said, "What do you mean?" He said, "Well, just think of it. Thousands of Egyptian soldiers drowned in three inches of water." You know, don't try to explain away the miracle. Sometimes miracles are natural occurrences like earthquakes that happen at the precise time they're supposed to happen. And that was what was happening with Paul and Silas. Most of the stories, by the way, in the Bible of miracles are really stories of divine providence. And most of the divine invasions you're going to experience are times when God is at work in the circumstances of your life to bring about his will. Now, why does God perform miracles? Does God just get bored in heaven and think, "I need to liven some things up on earth, I’ll perform some miracles." There are five reasons for miracles and we're going to look at them very quickly. Number one, to glorify God and Christ. To glorify God and Christ. We use that word glorify. The word means to magnify, to make larger. It's the word doxazo, we get doxology from it, to magnify. In Luke 5 it says when Jesus healed the paralytic, he said to him, "Get up and walk." And immediately he got up before them and picked up what he had been lying on and went home glorifying God. I have other scriptures on your outline that show the importance of glorifying God. Listen to this. God has made us to be human magnifying glasses. When people look at us, they ought to see God as large as he really is. The purpose of your life and my life is to make God larger in the eyes of those who see him. And that’s why God performs miracles in our life. Secondly, to demonstrate God's sovereignty. God uses miracles to demonstrate God's sovereignty, his control over all creation. He wants to demonstrate it to unbelievers. In Exodus 7 verses 4 and 5, God explained to Moses why he was going to send these plagues. Exodus 7 verse 5: "The Egyptian shall know that I am the Lord when I stretch out my hand on Egypt and will bring out the sons of Israel from their midst." It was going to be for the Egyptians' benefit, but it was also for the children of Israel. When they saw this miracle, it would cause them to trust more in the sovereignty of God. In Deuteronomy 29 verses 5 to 6, God is speaking to a new generation of Israelites who would actually enter into the land. And notice what God said: "I've led you 40 years in the wilderness. Your clothes have not worn out on you and your sandal has not worn out on your foot. You've not eaten bread nor have you drunk wine or strong drink, in order..." The reason I did these miracles is "in order that you might know that I am the Lord your God." God performs miracles to remind us he's in control. Thirdly, to authenticate God's messengers. Yes, the fact is God's messengers in biblical times did need to be authenticated that they were speaking truth. And one way they were authenticated was by the miracles they performed. Remember Nicodemus, his talk with Jesus at midnight. Nicodemus conceded, "Rabbi, we know that you have come from God as a teacher." How do we know that? "For no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him." Acts 2:22, Peter said the miracles confirmed the trustworthiness of the messengers of God. Number four, sometimes God sends miracles to confirm the truth of his message. Now many times, most times, that's the message of salvation. We see that in Acts 14:3. Peter and Barnabas were preaching in Iconium and it says 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. Their message was grace. Their message was we are not saved by keeping the law or offering the sacrifices of the Old Testament. We are saved by the grace of Jesus Christ. Talk about a tectonic shift, an earthquake. That was an earthquake to Judaism. How do we know these men are telling the truth and not preaching heresy? Well, it says by the signs and wonders that they performed. Hebrews 2 verses 3 and 4, "After it was first spoken..." what? the gospel "...through the Lord, it was confirmed through signs and wonders." Now signs are primarily to confirm God's message of salvation. But occasionally God will use a sign to confirm a personal message he has given to us. Now we have to be careful here. To try to use signs to determine God's will can be tricky. Signs can be very subjective. We can actually create a sign that has a probability of coming true to affirm what we already made up our mind we want to do. You know, I think about that guy who was having trouble with his diet and he was asking the Lord to give him self-control and one day he drove by the donut shop. He said, "Now God, if you want me to go into that donut shop, I want you to have a parking space open right in front of the door to that donut shop." He was telling a friend about it later and he said, "You know, I prayed that and the most miraculous thing happened. After two hours of circling the donut shop, a space opened up." We have to be careful, but that doesn't mean God doesn't use signs. You know, next week is the anniversary of the homecoming of our great friend and leader, Andy Horner. And I will never forget, I know I tell it over and over, I'm going to keep talking about it to the day I die, the way God used Andy to give me the sign I needed at just the right time for this congregation. Back in 2009, we were beginning the fundraising appeal for our campus, 130 million dollars at that time. Largest church expansion program in modern history. And you remember in 2009 we were in the depths of that recession. I'll never forget March 9th, 2009, the S&P index hit an all-time low. 666. 666. One tenth of what it is today. And people were in a panic. And Mark LaVorn, our chairman, and I talked about, "We know we're supposed to do this, but is the timing right? Is this the time to do this?" One morning I got up and I prayed, "Lord, if I'm supposed to go forward through this, I need a divine sign and I need it today." I know you're not supposed to pray that way but sometimes you just do the best you can, don't you? I said, "Lord, please just give me a sign today." I had lunch with Andy and Joan, his wife, and we talked about everything under the sun, including the price of hot dogs at Texas Stadium at the time. And so we didn't once talk about the building campaign. As I was leaving, Andy said, "You know pastor, I know times are hard out there but I think we need to go forward with this." I silently looked up at God and said, "Is this it? Is this the big sign? It’s not much, Lord, but I’ll take whatever I can get right now." So I kind of mulled what he said, walked down the street, got my car at Ross Avenue to go to Baylor Hospital. And while I was driving, my cell phone rang. And it was Andy. He said, "Pastor, I forgot to tell you. Joan and I have been talking for some time and we want to give the lead gift to the new campus." And when he told me what it was, I almost drove off the road. It was the largest gift that has ever been given to this church. In fact, our consultants told us it was the largest gift ever given to any church for a building project. It was the sign I was looking for. And I remember for years after that until God took Andy home, he would say, "You know, I don't know why I called you that day. Andy and Joan had planned for months what we were going to do. We talked with Tim about what we were going to do. I don't know why I just called you at that time." I said, "I know why. I know why." That was God. God does that kind of thing to confirm the message sometimes that he wants us to go in. And finally, God uses miracles to encourage greater faith. Woody Allen is an atheist, but he has some great comments. One time he said, "Oh, if only God would give me some sign. If he would just speak to me once. Anything. One sentence, two words. If he would just cough." Well, God has done more than cough. He’s more than given us one word or two words or a sentence. He's created an entire universe. The Bible says only a moron, a fool, would look at this world and say there is no God. But even in spite of that, God sometimes gives signs. He’s given signs to unbelievers, the signs of Jesus Christ. In John 20 verses 30 to 31, the Bible says, "Therefore many other signs Jesus performed in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. But these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Son of God and that believing you may have life in his name." Not many people are saved through signs but some are. But sometimes these signs are for people of faith to have greater faith. And that’s why God gives them a divine invasion. In these next weeks, I hope you'll be encouraged to ask God to intervene in your life in a miraculous way. For the next four weeks, we're going to look at the four kinds of miracles: miracles of power, of provision, of protection, miracles of physical restoration. Then in the sixth message, we're going to talk about what to do when your miracle doesn't come. And finally, we're going to look at how to authenticate genuine from fake miracles. But I hope as we talk about these dramatic stories from God's word, from dramatic stories in today's world, you won't get misled. The focus should not be on the miracles. All miracles should point people to the miracle worker. God performs miracles in our lives to draw us closer to him. And I hope as you listen to these testimonies from years past or even today's world, I hope you'll be motivated to come boldly, without hesitation, before God and ask him for the miracle you need in your life. Isn't that what the scriptures say? Come boldly to the throne of grace that we might find grace and receive mercy to help in our time of need. Praise God for a God who works miracles today.