Show Me a Sign!

Welcome to No Compromise Radio Ministry. My name is Mike Ebendroth. Boy, it sure is sunny out today. It's supposed to be 60 degrees on February 10th, Saturday, 2024, here in New England, where you have to take your GPS and turn it to a British voice, male or female, so it pronounces Worcester like Worcester, not Wor-chester.

Today, we'll start off the show with something very fascinating. I'm looking for a sign, right, because I don't really want to walk by faith. I want to walk by sight, so I don't know what to talk about today.

So I'm going to open up, not the Bible for a sign, because you probably shouldn't do that, but I'm going to open up the Common Book of Prayer and just randomly open it, and I'm going to put my finger someplace and start reading it, and then we're going to talk about it.

For I'm a stranger with thee, and a sojourner, as all my fathers were. Oh, spare me a little, that I may recover my strength, before I go hence and be seen no more. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost, as was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end.

I just randomly opened to page 295, the order of the burial of the dead. It says here, here is to be noted that the office ensuing is not to be used for any unbaptized adults, any who die, excommunicate, or who have laid violent hands upon themselves.

Suicide. The minister meeting the corpse at the entrance of the churchyard and going before it, either into the church and toward the grave, shall sing or say, after they are come into the church, shall be said or sung one of the, both of the following selections taking from the 30th and 60th, sorry, it's so small to print, 90th Psalm, as that's my guess.

So, isn't that a sign? What's a sign? That I'm going to die one day? Well, I guess that's, I don't need a sign for that. Teach me the number of my days, sign for that. Well, that's true. Cancer seems to make you think that way more often than you probably would otherwise.

I don't think I'm going to die from prostate cancer. I don't think I'm going to die from leukemia, at least this time around. It might come back in 10 years or whatever. I don't think I'm going to die from COVID pneumonia.

So, I don't know what else I'm running out of options. Maybe it's the aneurysm. I have the aortic aneurysm. I have one, but I talk about it too much. I might laugh and burst it. I've heard it only hurts for a second if that thing goes.

Ouch. Today on No Compromise Radio, we're talking about signs. We're talking about practice, not a game, not a game, not Heidel cast, but we're talking about signs. We're in Luke 4, and instead of responding with faith when Jesus got done preaching in the synagogue in Nazareth, they wanted signs.

They liked how He said things. They didn't like what He said. And Jesus responds to their, hey, aren't you just Joseph's kid? That's who you are. You're not the Messiah, in other words. I'm not going to believe you when you say today this is fulfilled in your hearing about Isaiah 61 and the servant of all servants.

No, that's not you. No spiritual jubilee, not from you. So what does Jesus say? Jesus is going to say unbelief wants a sign, Luke 4, 23. And so what I want you to do in this show today, dear NoCo listeners, is I don't want you to base your life on signs.

Unbelief Wants Signs Instead of Faith

Somehow in the future, God gives you a sign so you know what to do. You have a full canon, you have a complete canon, you have more books of the Bible than you could ever study in your life. And so why do you need extra?

Searching for signs has to do with unbelief and laziness in that order, in my opinion. I got a frog in the throat here. I don't know what's going on. Maybe that's a sign that I should not do the show today.

I did a show last week, forgot to hit record because I was messing around with some other buttons. And I was talking for 15 minutes. I looked up. It didn't even say anything. Like it was recording. I thought, oh, well, just time to go home.

Kim said, why are you home early? Because I'm talking into the ether. And Jesus said to them, Luke 4, 23, doubtless you will quote to me this proverb. I know what you're going to say. You already said, is this Joseph's son?

I know what else you're going to say. Physician, heal yourself. What we have heard you did at Capernaum, do in your hometown here as well. And Jesus said, truly, I say to you, no prophet is acceptable in his home town.

Now, of course, Jesus knows what people are thinking. The God man knows. And regularly we see this in scripture regularly. Did you know what you see it in Luke? When Jesus perceived their thoughts, he answered them.

Why do you question in your hearts? Luke five, Luke six, but he knew their thoughts. Luke seven, Jesus answering said to him, Simon, I have something to say to you before, before even that was elicited.

Luke nine, but Jesus knowing the reasoning of their hearts. Luke 11, but he knowing their thoughts here, the God man knows. I know what you're thinking. Jesus says, you're thinking there's a bunch of things I did up in Capernaum.

Now you want me to do it here because unbelief wants a sign. Do here what you did over there. I mean, you're at least home. You should do it. I mean, home field advantage. It's a good thing. I need to write that down.

Field advantage. How do you spell advantage? Huh? Just like it sounds. You ever try to write something in front of people and then your spelling goes out the door. We don't believe you. So, Jesus says, okay, I know.

He reads their minds. They don't believe he's the Messiah, the long expected Messiah. They want signs and wonders. Just simply reading Isaiah 61, doing a few miracles in Capernaum and then having a sermon saying you're the Messiah.

That's not enough. Hey, this is your hometown. I mean, we saw you when you were a kid. Horsin' around. Of course, never sinning, but I'm sure kids horse around. Where'd we get that term? Horse around.

Hey, quit horsin' around. Prove your worth, physician. Start with yourself and your homies and your hometown people. And as one writer said, basically Jesus is saying, you know what? Here's what you want to say to me.

Put up or shut up. That's what you want to say to me. You say you're the Messiah? Prove it. Kind of almost sounds like what Satan said, does it not? Throw yourself down from here if you're the son of God, for it is written he will command his angels concerning you to guard you.

On their hands, they will bear you up lest you strike your foot against the stone. Jesus wants us to believe him. Not because of the miracles, not because of the signs, not because of the wonders, but because of who he is.

We don't want to act like those on the cross. Saved others around the cross. He saves others. Let him save himself. And it's interesting in Luke 4 .23, thou lest you will quote to me this proverb. Jesus said, physician, heal yourself.

What we heard you did at Capernaum, do here in your hometown as well. I mean, what we heard is not the same as what you did. We know you did something there. Now do it here. We heard you did something there.

Maybe, kind of, maybe, maybe it really didn't. Might not be true. That's what unbelief does. Can you see it? You see how bad unbelief is? That's the root of all sin. It leads to lawlessness, certainly.

It leads to immorality and idolatry. That's true. That's the fruit of it all. But the root of all sin is unbelief. They're skeptical. They're challenging. They're demanding. They have no faith. And Jesus, of course, says amen in Luke 7 .24.

I say to you, no prophet is acceptable in his hometown. When you say amen and you're Jesus, you're saying something very solemn and serious and sober. And he says, no prophet is acceptable in your hometown.

That word is not used very often, acceptable, but it was just used a moment ago in Luke 4, where it's to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor, to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord or favorable year of the Lord.

Jesus declares the favorable year of the Lord is now, but he, Jesus, isn't favored in the eyes of the locals. The locals don't buy it. Acts 10, 35 to 36, Peter preaching, but in every nation, everyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him.

As for the word that he sent to Israel, preaching good news of peace through Jesus Christ, he is Lord of all. Some accept, some don't. Remember that old phrase, familiarity breeds what? Contempt. 70 times in the gospels and only on Jesus's lips, truly, amen, verily.

This is serious. Hometown prophet, come on, do something. And you know what? If he would have, they still wouldn't have believed because signs just want more signs. Unbelief is never satisfied. It's like the leech that has two sisters, give, give.

Unbelief never satisfied. And we know, not Isaiah, Hebrews chapter 11, verse six, without faith, it's impossible to please God. Unbelief is so wrong, so insidious. They don't believe Jesus. So give us a sign, give us a wonder, give us a miracle.

We won't believe you then either, but at least we might get some bread out of the deal. Somebody might get healed out of the deal. That might be nice. I mean, you grew up around here and you're still the same kid.

And you're not favorable in our eyes. For us as Christians, let's make sure we don't buy into unbelief and ask God for signs. Give me, you know, shall I marry so-and-so? Give me a sign. Shall I take this job or not?

Give me a sign. And even when it comes to open doors, closed doors, I mean, you can't go through doors unless they're open. I guess let's just knock them down. But even there, sometimes open door means don't go through it.

Be wise. Be very careful. If you'd like to know about the providence of God, you can study the providence of God, or you look back in time and you can see God's hands perfectly, but you can't know what he's doing up front.

We're not able to discern God's providential hand looking forward. First Corinthians 1 .22, for indeed, Jews ask for signs and Greeks search for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified to Jews a stumbling block and to Gentiles foolishness.

I mean, how apropos are those two verses in first Corinthians for this passage here? You don't get signs. When you're so full of unbelief, you're not going to get a sign. Remember Jesus, Pharisees came up to him, Mark 11, they wanted a sign to test him.

He sighed deeply in his spirit and said, why does this generation seek a sign? Truly I say to you, no sign will be given to this generation. Some of the scribes and Pharisees, Matthew 12, answered him saying, teacher, we wish to see a sign from you.

But he answered them an evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah, the prophet. Thankfully, there are other responses, faith, but to those who are called both Jews and Gentiles, Christ, the power of God and the wisdom of God.

And we receive him by faith. We don't need signs anymore. We have a complete canon. We have God's full revelation. The right response is faith. Faith doesn't demand signs. When you have charismatic friends, and they're always wanting signs for everything, it's a lack of faith.

Yes, it's a lack of knowledge of scripture. That's true. It's ignorance. That's true. It's not understanding progressive revelation. That's true. It's not understanding sign gifts point. And once we have what they're pointing to, we don't run back to the sign.

When I'm driving from New York City to Worcester, and I see the sign for Worcester, it's a sign. It points. It's up there. I don't stop at the sign. The sign points me to go someplace else. The key issue with signs, the key issue with God's word is faith.

For both earlier, last episode, and this one, the right response to God, the son, the right response to the preaching of God's word, the right response instead of wanting signs is faith. Faith comes by hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.

That's Romans 10. First Corinthians 16, be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. Standing firm in the faith. Second Corinthians 5, 7, we walk by faith and not by sight. Even if you can't see the future, which you can't, we still know it's going to happen, and it's going to be glorious for us as Christians.

First Peter 1, in this you rejoice, for now a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith, faith, faith, faith, faith, faith, more precious than gold that perishes, though it's tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

Though you've not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

Verse 7, faith. Verse 8, believe. Verse 9, faith. It's faith and believing, because believing is tied to someone. We have an object. There's an object of our faith. Faith doesn't heal. Faith doesn't save.

Faith isn't our righteousness. Faith is not our satisfaction to God. Faith isn't Jesus. Faith isn't the cross. Faith isn't substitution or atonement. Faith isn't literal resurrection. Faith is none of those.

But faith believes the object, the Lord Jesus, right? Technically speaking, you're not saved by faith if you want to, unless you want to have it shorthand. You're saved by faith in the risen Savior, et cetera.

Well, and lastly, at least lastly for today, if the right response to Jesus is preaching his faith, if the right response is take him at his word and not demand signs, which is taking him at his word is faith.

When you hear about sovereignty of God, how do you respond? And lo and behold, the answer is going to be faith. What is the godly response to the sovereignty of God? Now, you would probably admit, dear Christian, admit that when you have children, and if they're a boy or a girl, that you would say God's sovereign over that, and you're probably not mad.

Unless it's really raining hard on your wedding day, you're probably not mad that it's raining. You realize God is sovereign over the rain. God is sovereign over many things. But here is the rub. Is God sovereign over who goes to heaven and who doesn't?

That makes people mad because it is true. The sovereignty of God often makes people mad. They're trying to get God to do what they want him to do, and they're not going to let God be God. And the essence of God's godness is sovereignty.

Oh, I could say that about love. I could say that about holiness. But since today we're talking about sovereignty, let's go for that. I don't want Meister to call me or anything with wrong theistic views.

I would have liked to have met Charlton Heston. I would have liked to have met—I'm just talking about actors now—Steve McQueen. I think Greg Laurie wrote a book about how Steve McQueen got saved. Steve McQueen would have been nice to meet.

Charlton Heston, he probably would have been nice to meet. I would have liked to have met John Wayne. My dad kind of looked like him at certain times in his life. Who's like? My dad's are John Waynes, yes.

And therefore, I think I would have liked to have met John Wayne. I don't really think I have a favorite actor of all time. Somebody says, oh, who's one of your—who's a favorite actor? I have no idea.

I think Denzel Washington is a great actor. I'd like to meet him sometime. I heard he's a nice man. He's a fine fellow. I think his father is or was a pastor. Anyway, actresses, I don't know. Actors. I guess you can call female actresses actors, can you not?

Do they get bugged at that? Do feminists get mad at that now? I don't know. Doubtless you will quote me this proverb. Jesus goes on to talk about God's sovereignty, and he puts his thumb in their eye, because he's going to give examples of the sovereignty of God, God's healings, God's doing signs and wonders, but not for Israelites, because Israelites didn't believe.

Not for Israel, because Israel as a nation was full of unbelief. He, instead of healing someone in Israel, he's going to heal someone who's a Gentile, and he's not going to do it once, but twice in this account.

Jesus is going to give an account, a woman and a man. Neither of them are Jewish, and because in the background the Jews were full of unbelief, God went and did something else. And so, Jesus gives this example here of two Gentiles, a widow and a general, and with these two stories, they're not just made-up stories, literal stories, but they are stories, they believe the prophet's words.

One man said, quoting Jesus, it's as if Jesus said, you people here in Galilee, you haven't learned much in the last 800 years. You're just like your forebearers before you, you don't believe. God sent him this anointed to you, his word is not enough.

You want to see a miracle, and you don't even think that I've done the miracles that I've done in other parts of this place. So, guess what? God's not going to do to you just like he did, he's going to do to you just like he did to them.

He's not going to give you miracles. There'll be no miracle doing here in Nazareth, because you've got hard hearts. You're laden with your sins, and you don't believe my words. And speaking of Jesus, the prophet, and you don't believe his words, just like you didn't believe the prophet's words back then, 800, 900 years before, Jesus was talking here.

Speaking of prophets, let's talk about Elijah and Elisha. And so, for the rest of time today on No Compromise Radio Ministry, we're going to talk about these two people. In the meantime, what can I do to have a little break here?

I am working on a book called Cancer Is Not Your Shepherd, and it is a 31-day guide to suffering. Unlike the Gospel Assurance 31-day guide to assurance, this one is probably half it's written by me, and I've got half of it written by Thomas Watson and other older Puritans, as we call them, English reformers.

And so, I hope I can encourage people that have cancer, that know some with cancer, or it doesn't really even have to be cancer. It could be any physical sickness, how to walk through it, and what to think about it.

I'm hoping I can finish writing in the next month. That's my goal. I don't know if I can do it or not, but that's my goal. I was working on sexual fidelity, updating that, but this is more important. And I need to get this book out, not because I think I'm somebody.

Well, I do think I'm somebody. Sadly, I have to crucify that. But I think it just will help. I've already gotten a couple of phone calls from people who have either prostate cancer or leukemia, even lately.

I mean, I've gotten many in the past, but even lately, to talk to people. And even someone that's wife, his first wife died of cancer. Now, his second wife is very, very sick with cancer. Talked to him on the phone.

Good old, what's his name? Jim, Rob, Jamie, Jose, Keith, Gary. All right. Where am I? I am in West Boylston, Massachusetts. That's where I am. Just north of Augusta. Oh, this is a funny one. So Tim Pierce is a friend of mine.

He's here at church. He's going to Greenville Seminary. He's a Presby. And we were having dinner in town in West Boylston. Nice little Thai place. And a lady kind of was staring at me. I don't mean young lady.

I don't mean flirting or anything like that, but just an older lady. And she was looking at me like she knew me. And then she said something to the person that she was with. And that lady then turned over her shoulder because she had her back to me, this other lady, turned over her shoulder and looked right at me.

Okay. So dinner was over for them. And they walked by our table and I said, excuse me. I said, do I know you? And she just kind of looked at me. She said, I don't know, maybe. And I said, oh, I, cause I wanted to say, do you know me?

I said, well, I'm the pastor of Bethlehem Bible Church over there on 110. Cause you don't say the 110 here in New England. You say 110. And I said, she said, oh, I know about your church. And I said, hopefully good things.

And she looked up to the side and paused. I thought, oh brother. Anyway, she started to say something. And then she just shook my hand and I said, God bless you. So good for her that she didn't spill the beans, but it wasn't good.

Elijah and Elisha as Examples of Divine Sovereignty

Jesus says in Luke four, but in truth, I tell you, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah. There are many in Israel, many in Israel when the heavens were shut three years and six months and a great famine came over all the land and Elijah was sent.

Who sent him? God, sovereignty to none of them, but only, only to Zarephath, Gentile, pagan in the land of Sidon, Gentile, pagan to a woman who was a widow, a widow. That's a woman widow. Can you imagine?

They must've been so mad. Israel didn't believe. So the signs went elsewhere. You're in Nazareth. You won't believe the signs go elsewhere. Fascinating. Here's a prophet Elijah. Here's a prophet Jesus.

There's unbelief. Here's unbelief. I go elsewhere. God's sovereign. I'm sovereign. Wow. Israel rejects the Messiah. Gentiles receive the Messiah. God sent, sovereignty of God. Anyway, that is something that's super amazing.

And we're going to talk more about when God is sovereign, how do you respond? And you respond with faith and joy and submission. That's how you respond. So we'll find out more next time on No Compromise Radio Ministry.