What Other Sign Are You Waiting For?

Luke 2:33-34 And Joseph and his mother marvelled at those things which were spoken of him. 34 And Simeon blessed them, and said unto Mary his mother, Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel; and for a sign which shall be spoken against;

Matt 16:1-4 The Pharisees also with the Sadducees came, and tempting desired him that he would shew them a sign from heaven. 2 He answered and said unto them, When it is evening, ye say, It will be fair weather: for the sky is red. 3 And in the morning, It will be foul weather to day: for the sky is red and lowring. O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times? 4 A wicked and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given unto it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas. And he left them, and departed.

The Pharisees and Saducees wanted a sign from Jesus.

Storms are not the sign!

It is human nature to be able to tell whether or not we are in a storm, but what God wants to know is can you tell that He wants to be Lord of your life!

Other signs are not the sign!

Many born again Christians do not fulfill the perfect will of God in their life because they are waiting for a sign that they are to do it!

The sign of the Prophet Jonah was that He stayed in the belly of the whale for 3 days and 3 nights. The Only sign that we need is Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection. If Jesus had to go through it, then so do we... Repentance = death Baptism = burial Resurrection = the infilling of the Holy Ghost with the evidence of speaking in tongues. We are identifying with Christ when we complete these commandments. Some people don’t want to follow this plan of salvation, but there is no other way, there is no other sign! Jesus is the only sign that will be given to this generation for direction for their life!

John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God John 1:14 And the Word became flesh

Jesus was the Word of God! Some people don’t want to submit themselves to the Word of God. They want to pick and choose what they will live. When you reject Scripture, you reject Jesus!

John 14:16-18 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; 17 Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. 18 I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.

In verse 16, Jesus stated that another Comforter, the “Spirit of truth,” would come. And the disciples knew this other comforter because he “dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. Jesus was the comforter, the “spirit of truth!” In verse 18, Jesus reaffirmed that the comforter would indeed be Jesus living IN us: “I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.” The comforter was poured out on the Day of Pentecost! When we receive the Holy Ghost, we are receiving Jesus Christ INTO our life!

Just as Jonah was the only sign that Nineveh was given, and Jesus’ earthly ministry was the only sign that the Pharisees were given, Jesus Christ is still the only sign that we need that God wants to use us!

The Book of Acts is really the Acts of the Holy Ghost through ordinary people:

1. Jesus gave commandments to be fulfilled by the Holy Ghost (Acts 1:2)

2. Jesus promised baptism of the Holy Ghost (Acts 1:5)

3. Jesus says that the purpose of the Holy Ghost (not the effect) is to bring power to the believer and enable him to witness for God (Acts 1:8).

4. The Holy Ghost prophesied Judas’ betrayal and death through David (Acts 1:16).

5. The Holy Ghost filled the disciples at the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2:4, 6, 8-11).

6. The Holy Ghost coming was the fulfillment of God’s promise in Joel (Acts 2:17).

7. The Holy Ghost is promised to those who repent and are baptized in Jesus’ name (Acts 2:38)

8. Peter filled with the Holy Ghost defended himself before the High Priest (Acts 4:8).

9. Believers prayed and were filled with the Holy Ghost and spoke the Word of God boldly (Acts 4:31).

10. Annanias and Sappharia lied to the Holy Ghost by lying to the man of God (Acts 5:3)

11. Annanias and Sappharia tempted the Holy Ghost together (Acts 5:9).

12. Holy Ghost itself is a witness to the Gospel (Acts 5:32).

13. Fullness of Holy Ghost is a qualification of ministry (Acts 6:3)

14. Stephen was chosen to be a minister because of being full of the Holy Ghost(Acts 6:5)

15. In Stephen’s defense, he said that when the Pharisees rejected the words of the prophets, they rejected the Holy Ghost (Acts 7:51).

16. When Stephen was being stoned, he was full of the Holy Ghost (Acts 7:55)

17. When Peter and John came to Samaria where Phillip had been preaching, they prayed that the Samaritans would receive the Holy Ghost (Acts 8:15)

18. When Peter and John laid their Hands upon the Samaritans, they were filled with the Holy Ghost (Acts 8:17)

19. Simon wanted to buy the Holy Ghost from Peter and John because He saw the power of the Holy Ghost within them (Acts 8:18).

20. Simon wanted to be able to lay hands on people and their life be changed by the Holy Ghost but did not want the change himself (Acts 8:19).

21. The Holy Ghost sent Ananias to Paul so that His eyes would be healed and that he would receive the Holy Ghost (Acts 9:17)

22. Walking in the rest of the Holy Ghost, the churches multiplied (Acts 9:31)

23. Jesus had been anointed with the power of the Holy Ghost in order to do the miracles that He did (Acts 10:38).

24. As Peter spake the Word of God to the household of Cornelius, the Holy Ghost fell upon them (Acts 10:44).

25. The other Jews with Peter were amazed that the Gentiles also received the Holy Ghost! (Acts 10:45).

26. Peter commanded that those who had received the Holy Ghost should be baptized in Jesus’ name (Acts 10:47).

27. When Peter told the church leaders about his experience at Cornelius’ house, he stated that the Holy Ghost had fallen upon them just as “in the beginning.” (Acts 11:15)

28. John had preached that we would be baptized with the fire of the Holy Ghost (Acts 11:16)

29. Barnabas was fruitful in the ministry because he was full of the Holy Ghost (Acts 11:24)

30. The Holy Ghost spoke unto the apostles and commissioned Barnabas and Paul for missionary work (Acts 13:2).

31. The Holy Ghost sent Barnabas and Paul to Cyprus (Acts 13:4).

32. The Holy Ghost caused Paul to be able to confront the sorcerer Elymas (Acts 13:9)

33. When the Jews cast Paul and Barnabas out of the city, they were filled with the Holy Ghost and Joy (Acts 13:52).

34. Peter spake that God filled Jews and Gentiles alike with the Holy Ghost (Acts 15:8).

35. The Holy Ghost only lays upon us the things that are necessary (Acts 15:28).

36. The Holy Ghost told Paul and Silas not to preach in Asia (Acts 16:6).

37. Paul asked the twelve disciples of John the Baptist “have you received the Holy Ghost since you believed? (Acts 19:2)

38. The disciples had never heard of the Holy Ghost because no one had ever reached them before (Acts 19:2)

39. The twelve disciples of John the Baptist were filled with the Holy Ghost when Paul layed his hands upon them (Acts 19:6).

40. The Holy Ghost used the binding and persecution of Paul to witness to others (Acts 20:23).

41. The Holy Ghost made the pastors of the local churches overseers of the flock (Acts 20:28)

42. The Holy Ghost spoke through Paul and He witnessed to Jerusalem (Acts 21:11)

43. The words of Isaiah prophesied that the Jews would reject the Holy Ghost (Acts 28:25)

The Point is very clear: the infilling of the Holy Ghost was not the stopping point for the Apostolic church! The Holy Ghost was the sign that led the people to serve God in everyday life despite whatever obstacles were in their way!

Matt 20:1-16 For the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which went out early in the morning to hire labourers into his vineyard. 2 And when he had agreed with the labourers for a penny a day, he sent them into his vineyard. 3 And he went out about the third hour, and saw others standing idle in the marketplace, 4 And said unto them; Go ye also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right I will give you. And they went their way. 5 Again he went out about the sixth and ninth hour, and did likewise. 6 And about the eleventh hour he went out, and found others standing idle, and saith unto them, Why stand ye here all the day idle? 7 They say unto him, Because no man hath hired us. He saith unto them, Go ye also into the vineyard; and whatsoever is right, that shall ye receive. 8 So when even was come, the lord of the vineyard saith unto his steward, Call the labourers, and give them their hire, beginning from the last unto the first. 9 And when they came that were hired about the eleventh hour, they received every man a penny. 10 But when the first came, they supposed that they should have received more; and they likewise received every man a penny. 11 And when they had received it, they murmured against the goodman of the house, 12 Saying, These last have wrought but one hour, and thou hast made them equal unto us, which have borne the burden and heat of the day. 13 But he answered one of them, and said, Friend, I do thee no wrong: didst not thou agree with me for a penny? 14 Take that thine is, and go thy way: I will give unto this last, even as unto thee. 15 Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? Is thine eye evil, because I am good? 16 So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen.

Early in the morning labourers = Original 120 on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2)

Third hour = Jews. (who were saved as a result of Peter’s sermon on the Day of Pentecost!) Acts 2, Peter said that these are not drunk it is but the “third hour”

Sixth hour = Samaritans. Jesus had sat down upon the well at Samaria at the sixth hour (John 4:6) Phillip later returned to preach to the Samaritans and they were filled with the Holy Ghost (Acts 8).

Ninth hour = Gentiles. Cornelius was praying about what to do to be saved when an angel appeared unto him at the Ninth hour (Acts 10:3)

Eleventh hour = Us who are alive at the end of time. Only 9 billion people have ever lived, and 6 billion are alive today! The twelth hour is quitting time!

John 6:30-35 They said therefore unto him, What sign shewest thou then, that we may see, and believe thee? what dost thou work? 31 Our fathers did eat manna in the desert; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat. 32 Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven. 33 For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world. 34 Then said they unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread. 35 And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.

1 Cor 1:21-31 For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. 22 For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom: 23 But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness; 24 But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God. 25 Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men. 26 For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: 27 But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; 28 And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: 29 That no flesh should glory in his presence. 30 But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: 31 That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.