The last three weeks we have been discussing the power of the Holy Spirit.  We learned that to witness or evangelize effectively, preaching the gospel must be combined with the Holy Spirit. We learned that God only manifests His Holy Spirit in us if we present ourselves as pure holy instruments through which He can work. We learned that Jesus performed miracles through the power of the Holy Spirit while He was on earth. We learned that John 14:12 speaks about Christians doing greater works; not greater miracles than Jesus. While the apostles were given authority to do the same works that Jesus did, we see no record of them performing greater miracles than Jesus did. Their ministry was considerably years longer than Jesus’ and yet the bible does not say that volumes of books could be written of all the miracles the apostles did, as it says of Jesus in John 21:25.

This week we will learn that even though God can lead us to do miracles, we need to be careful to not mistake miracles as a form or power from God to witness to others about God’s goodness.  Today, many people expect miracles to prove God is real and seek prayers for God to meet their needs through the supernatural means of a miracle.  Remember when Jesus condemned the Pharisees as “wicked and adulterous” in Matthew 12:38-39 because they refused to believe the signs and wonders Christ had already performed.  Their hearts were hardened towards the truth even after Jesus performed numerous public miracles. Nothing would make the Pharisees believe. They were not satisfied with the miracles Jesus had done and demanded something even greater. Remember Pharaoh after witnessing so many of Moses’ miracles in Egypt. Remember in Psalms 78:10-11the children of Ephraim did not keep their covenant with God, refused to walk in His law and forgot His wondrous works even after seeing God’s miracles.

Some people seek after signs and wonders because they are curious thrill-seekers. Like the crowds in John 6:2 and King Herod in Luke 23:8, some people want to see something sensational but have no real desire to know the truth about Jesus.  Some seek signs and wonders because they hope to get something for themselves. After Jesus fed the multitudes, a large crowd followed Him to the other side of Galilee. Jesus however, saw their true motivation and rebuked it: “I tell you the truth, you are looking for me, not because you saw miraculous signs but because you ate the loaves and had your fill” (John 6:26). The crowd’s desire was not to know Jesus or even to see more miracles; it was simply to fill their stomachs again.

Maybe that’s why it nobler in God’s sight to believe without needing a miracle.  Rather than seek a miracle, let’s learn to take God at His word as we lead people to Him. Sharing our faith is more pleasing to God than relying on miracles to win souls. “In John 20:29, Jesus said “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”