The Miracles of Christ

I.       Changing Water To Wine            John 2            

Goal = convince them that Jesus changes lives

A.     Intro

1.      Explain concept of miracles as an extension of who God is

a)      If they have a problem with miracles, they have a problem with existence of a personal God.

2.      Develop this theme now--Do they want real change in life?  Do they want to impact others?   Do they want to do something really meaningful for their day?   If so, they need to look at this story to find out how to get it

B.     Explain the story and the miracle--in brief

1.      Background on who Jesus was (many come from an unchurched background an may not know)  Give dates, religious background, Pharisees, Jewish people, etc

C.     Jesus Christ Changes lives>>>Internally, not externally

1.      Out with the old program, in with the new

a)      Define water pot usage>>outward "religious" cleansing--yet know real change

b)      New program = internal cleansing, not outward. Real change

2.      If you want lasting change, victory over bad habits, a relationship with God, then get into Christ. 

a)      They will impact others

b)      They will do something really meaningful in others lives

II.    Healing of the Leper                    Matt 8

Goal = Convince them God is a God of compassion and grace.

C.     Intro

1.      Someone willing to go to great lengths to reach out to you.

a)      Instead of kicking you when you are down, He reaches out to you.

2.      How would you like someone so devoted to you, even when you really mess them over, they won't leave you.

D.     Tell the story of the leper

1.      Answer the questions>>What is leprosy and how do you get it?   A graphic picture or two would be nice

2.      How were Leper's treated in Jesus' day?

3.      Show how far Jesus went, the risk he took, in touching that leper.

E.      Try to apply this to them

1.      Never too sinful for God.

a)      Therefore, accept Christ as you are.  Come as you are, sins and all.

b)      Get the forgiveness you need.

2.      He's always willing to help you in your time of need

3.      Therefore:  Ask him for help. 

a)      James 4:2   You Have not because ask not

b)      Luke 11:     Keep knocking, keep seeking.

III.    Feeding the 5,000                         John 6

Goal = Convince them that God will provide for us--as we serve others

A.     Intro

1.      Major problem in our world = selfishness.  It is the cause of world wars, current violence in our culture, divorce, and fights with your friends.

2.      Christ has the  solution:  learning how to serve others.

a)      As you let Christ in, he will change your life (last week Water to wine)

b)      Soon, he will give you significant jobs to do.  

c)      Yet--we resist--so often--because we are afraid our needs will go unmet.   Therefore, we remain selfish and only try to meet our needs

d)      And thus, the cycle of selfishness continues and our world doesn't get any better and we don't impact others, and our lives remain average--at best.  

(1)    Hard to think of anything worse than living a boring, average life.  Who needs it!

3.      This is a story that shows how we can trust God to meet our needs as we serve others and consequently have an exciting, faith building life--way above average.

B.     Tell the story

C.     Show--through scripture---how Christ meets our needs as we serve.

1.      John 6                    12 overflowing baskets left over for the workers.

2.      Matt 6:33               But seek first His kingdom, & all these things will be added

3.      John 13:12-17        Blessed are you if you do them

4.      John 12:23-25        Not only does he meet our needs, he causes impact!

5.      Cross                     Ultimate example of how God met Jesus' need while he served (Jesus wound up rising from the grave and lives eternally with God).  Also, ultimate example of how God caused a huge impact on our world--all because Jesus chose to serve.

6.      If desire and time allow, maybe do a 5 minute rendition on the life of a missionary who was provided for as s/he served and served. 

a)      George Mueller.  This story illustrates how God met George's needs as he served, but it also showed how God multiplied the impact George had in England with the thousands of orphans he saved. 

b)      Amy Charmichael who saved thousands of little girls who were being abandoned and destined for temple prostitution.

IV.  Walking on Water                       Matt 14:22-33 (John 6 as supplement)

Goal = Convince them that--through faith--they can live above their circumstances

A.     Intro

1.      Do you want to learn the secret of having a stable and calm life even when circumstances are rough?   How not to "lose it" during hard times?

2.      Maybe tell a story of how a student thoroughly lost it during bad circumstances.  Maybe tell a story how a student became a hero because s/he remained calm and trusted in God during a rough circumstance.

B.     Tell the story in Matt 14

C.     Point = Even Peter could walk on water. 

1.      He did so in midst of a storm

2.      Yet he lost it when he took his eyes off of Christ and His power and focused on the high wind and waves (bad circumstances).

D.     Us

1.      When we worry and look at overwhelming circumstances, we lose our faith too.

a)      Ex.  School work, bad home life, sharing our faith, making a stand for our faith. etc.

2.      We must keep our eyes on Christ and His power which He will personally give us if we keep our focus on Him and if we trust Him.

V.  Healing of the Blind Man            John 9

Goal = Convince them that grace is far better than law.  Law breeds self service, hate, and spiritual blindness.  Grace breeds love and spiritual insight.

A.     Intro: 

1.      Some of you may be coming--week after week you come, yet still not that excited about God or what the Bible has to say.  If this is the case, it may be that you have spiritual blindness.  Spiritual blindness is a pretty lame condition.  This means, when God is trying to communicate with us, we can't see it.  We're too blind.   You'll want to listen to this teaching.

2.      Some students, even brothers, have been brought up in the same school, same church, same family, yet one has way more spiritual insight than the other.  One gets really excited about Bible teachings, the other doesn't.   One is a warm individual, good to be around.  The other is cold and sort of self absorbed.   Why?  One is spiritually blind, the other is not.  You'll want to listen to this teaching. 

B.     Tell the story

C.     Jesus was a man of grace

D.     Explain the Pharisaic legalistic outlook

1.      Explain who the Pharisees were

2.      Explain how they were legalistic and what legalism is.

a)      Make sure to include their distorted view of the Sabbath

3.      Maybe include why they were threatened by Jesus. 

4.      Jesus made clay on purpose and had man wash in the pool

E.      Results of this outlook

1.      Pharisees

a)      Were threatened by Jesus (self absorbed)

b)      Didn't care that Blind Man could now see  (no love or compassion)

c)      Spiritually dense (See verses 24-30, 40-41)

(1)    Pharisees knew tons of OT verses on how the messiah would heal the sick, give sight to the blind, etc.  Yet, because of their legalism, which they made up, they were spiritually dense. Spiritually blind.

2.      Us

a)      Signs of legalism and grace