Date: November 20, 2005
Passage: Matthew 17:24-27
Message: Miracles 201 – Believing
Series: What Do You Expect?
“Expectation without explanation [Bible] is wishful thinking – leads to new age spirituality rather than Biblical reality.
Explanation without expectation is intellectual pride – leads to self righteousness rather than humility!â€
Discuss
There is a book referred to as the JEFFERSON BIBLE. The Life and Morals of Jesus of Nazareth was released to the public in 1904. Compiled by the Unites States of America's third president, Thomas Jefferson, around 1819-1820
Thomas Jefferson could not intellectually digest the miracles in the gospels so he extracted them. Everything that was left he compiled into his own version of the Bible called the Jefferson Bible. It’s a MIRACLE-LESS Bible
We are horrified at such a thing, but how do we often reduce the Bible to less than what it is?
Give examples.
Definition of faith = You know you have faith when you don’t know what CAN’T happen!
Give examples from the Bible when people trusted God with things that seemed crazy or unreasonable?
Read Matthew 17:24-27
What does this story teach us about respect for authority?
What does it teach us about Jesus?
What does it teach us about faith?
Before Peter became a follower of Jesus he was a fisherman.
He knew all there was to know about fishing.
It was his area of greatest PROFICIENCY AND SELF-SUFFICIENCY.
It was the thing he knew best. And I think Jesus wanted to do a miracle where he least expected it.
This little series was born out of gnawing fear that we have become so proficient, self sufficient in our Christian walk that we don’t expect God to break into it at any time!
Discuss
Where are you most proficient?
Where have we become so confident that we can just sail along without any expectation of God’s help?
Have you ever wondered if angels yawn?
I sometimes wonder if our sedentary spirituality bores the angels!
What do you think?