The God of Miracles: I Wish You Would

God's Goodness Precedes Our Perception

I want to start with a foundation for what we're about to explore together. Here it is: Many of us will never truly experience the hand of God in our lives because our lives are not in the position to really need it.

What does that mean? Your life is actually in better condition than you think. Be glad that all you're dealing with is finances. Be glad that all you're dealing with is a little bit of anxiety. Be thankful that you're coming to the altar for unforgiveness. Be excited that you're frustrated about your marriage, your kids, or your job. Your life actually could be way worse than it is right now.

I'm not trying to minimize your struggles or dismiss your reality. I'm simply trying to push you to a different perspective. If we could all pause and think about it, regardless of what we're going through, we would arrive to this same conclusion: God has been good. Period.

Even if you don't feel good, he's been good. If it don't look good, he's been good. Your condition may not be good, but he's good. The goodness of God does not rely on your opinion. It is not predicated on the happenings of your life. God is not good because you call him good. God is not good because he does good things. God's goodness is simply who he is. The definition of good is God. The definition of God is good. It's in his DNA. It's his makeup. It's his personality. It's his disposition.

God is good all the time. Not some of the time. Not a little bit of the time. All the time. And I cannot hold God responsible for what's not good in my life. Because what's not good in my life does not mean he hasn't been good. Your car might be tripping—be glad you got one. Your finances might be tripping—be glad you got some. You may be living paycheck to paycheck—at least you got one. God has been good.

You went through something that should have took you out and it did not. He's good. You didn't get the promotion, but he's good. He wasn't the one, but he's still good. Whether the cancer dries up or not, he's good. And God is so good that right here in Matthew 8, we get an opportunity to witness a small demonstration of his goodness.

The Context of the Crowds

This account takes place following the Sermon on the Mount, where Jesus taught those who were following him, witnessing and hearing about everything that was happening throughout Galilee. Matthew records this crusade-like tour with Jesus teaching in synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, not the gospel of church.

You only will believe God is good if you get away from your church vernacular and understand what goodness really is in the kingdom. Goodness in church means he gave me something. Goodness in the kingdom means it is what it is because he's good. Jesus was proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom. He was teaching. He was healing. He was speaking. And because of this, he was gaining many followers.

Now watch this: he didn't have Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, Snapchat, or any social media. He was just walking in his purpose, doing what God sent him to do. And because he was doing that, people from everywhere were following him. Instead of buying followers, why don't you walk in your purpose? Instead of posting pictures and checking back every two minutes to see how many likes you got, why don't you just walk in your purpose? All Jesus did was do what God sent him to do. And people from everywhere were following him.

Why is this important? Because Matthew writes that large crowds followed him. The crowds were so numerous and bigger than what was following Jesus when he was preaching the Sermon on the Mount. Everything we see about Matthew 8 was multiplied way more than Matthew 5. Why is this important? Because this gives clearer context to the account of the leper when you realize the risk associated with his request.

We're talking about tens of thousands of people who would never be around the leper. There is real risk associated with his request. Sometimes the risk is the only way to the reward. You've heard the saying, "no risk, no reward." Sometimes the obstacle is the way. Sometimes God expects you to go over something. He expects you to go through something just to see if you believe in the request.

The Leper's Position: Unworthy Yet Faithful

Amongst all those who came to him, there was a leper. We never know his name, his status, where he comes from, his family lineage, or anything else about him. All we know is he was a leper. Let me talk about what leprosy really was, because I don't want to sanitize this story.

Physically, leprosy was a skin condition that would decay the body while you're still alive. It would literally eat your flesh alive. Lepers often didn't know they had leprosy until they accidentally cut or injured themselves without feeling any pain. You can have something so strong on your life that even though it's hurting you, you don't feel it. Even though it's actually ruining your life, you don't feel it.

Leprosy severely damaged and deadened nerve endings, which meant injuries had no way of sending proper signals to the brain. As leprosy progressed, pus-filled sores would emerge all over the body. As the flesh became more infected, this brought uncontrollable itching and burning. At the height of the disease, parts of fingers, toes, ears, and nose would break off. Leprosy continued to take over the body until they finally died.

Socially, lepers were ostracized. They were forbidden to have any personal contact with anyone, including family and friends. The moment they were known to have contracted leprosy, they were declared unclean and cut off from society. They lost everything, including their reputation and their name. Their identity became their disease.

You only know me because of what you see. You only know me because of what you heard I was going through. You only know me because somebody ran their mouth and told you about my struggle. You think you know me, but you really know my disease. You don't really know me.

It's a shame that we're in a season of church where people are still being looked at and called out by their disease, by the thing that's wrong, instead of by their name, instead of who God called them to be. This is why you got to lock into who God is. Because if you lock into who people are, they will give you an identity that is so disconnected from what God really has for you, you'll start believing it yourself.

Lepers were only allowed community in lepers colonies—clusters of caves where they would live, awaiting death. Whenever a leper ventured away from the cave, they were required to ring a bell while shouting, "Unclean! Unclean!" so people would know not to get close.

But this leper heard that Jesus was going to be nearby. And at that moment, he had to make a decision. He decided: I don't care what's wrong. I don't care what they call me. I don't care how it looks. I'm going to take the risk. He went against all social norms. He defied all the rules and dismissed all protocols.

When he approached Jesus, he didn't just ask to be healed. He knelt before him first. He came to Jesus with an issue, but before he made a request, he worshiped. He knew who Jesus was. And because he knew who he was, he knew what that meant he had to do in order to get what he wanted.

Not only did he know who Jesus was, he knew what Jesus could do. How can I prove that? Because he asked him: "Lord, if you are willing." This does not mean "if you cannot." He didn't say "if you could." He said "if you are willing."

What do you do with a God who is willing but you don't feel worthy? This statement tells me something about the leper. It tells me that the leper did not believe he was worthy of being cleansed. He didn't believe he was worthy of being healed. He didn't believe he was worthy of being whole.

What do you do when the Lord is willing but you don't feel worthy? What happens when your condition has defined you so much that you become convinced that's all you are? I've been there. Because of my past and people knew my past, it didn't matter that God called me. It didn't matter that I grabbed the mic. It didn't matter that people were getting saved. What mattered to them was who I was. And there's somebody in this room who's struggling with this too. It's like no matter how much you run, you can't outrun their opinion of you.

Have you ever really wanted to pray a prayer, but because of where you are, you said to yourself, "He ain't gonna hear mine anyway"? Church will have you thinking, "There's a lot of perfect people in here." And you start to think, "Yeah, he probably listening to them. He probably coming to see about them. I don't know if he's going to actually come and see about me."

Some of us need to be detoxed from religion. Because religion will make you believe that you're not worthy. Religion will say, "Get away." When Jesus is saying, "I'm making a way." But if all you do is lock yourself into this box of church, then you will not understand that the only reason Jesus came was for you.

He's impressed by the purity of your heart. He's impressed by your mental capacity to comprehend that you are the whole reason why he shows up. He doesn't show up for jumping, shouting, and dancing. He shows up for the life that needs him.

You can come into water and then die of dehydration—because your condition tells you you're not worthy to take a drink. But I can tell you who you are: Every gifted person in here has felt like that. Every gifted person in here feels like that right now.

We be around people and it's just kind of like this ain't even me. And you're laughing at stuff that ain't even really funny. You're listening to gossip that just makes you think, "If you talk about them, I wonder what you're saying about me." You're staying locked in with people that you really don't rock with—why? Because you've become one with your condition.

And the worst thing is dealing with this and dealing with rejection. Because then it's like anybody who wants to be your friend, you latch on to them because they're not going to reject you. But let me tell you: most of your friendships are not friendships, they're trauma bonds. People have only gotten close to you because of your dysfunction. Your dysfunction high-fives their dysfunction, and that's what's brought you together.

I'm looking for some people who are ready to be delivered and set free and really set apart. And actually, if I got to stand alone, I'm going to stand alone. I'm not going to compromise my wholeness for community.

Listen, there's somebody out there watching and saying, "He ain't no man of God. He ain't even saved. I remember when he was this. I remember he did that." Y'all better stop caring what people think about you and start looking to the heels. Because if not, you will hold the key to your own prison and won't ever let yourself out.

The Miracle: God Touches What's Touching You

He is the God of miracles. And in Matthew chapter 8, he does something after this request that really shook me to my core. He does the one thing you're not supposed to do. He could have just spoke to him. He could have just waved his hand. But instead, he touched him.

Jesus touched him to send a message to the thousands of people watching, thinking, "Uh-uh. You can't do this anyway. Only I can." So he touched him.

And the Bible says immediately he was clean.

I want to take it a step further. The fact that he knew to bow. The fact that he called him Lord. The fact that he said, "If you're willing"—this tells me he was not separate from the crowd that knew who Jesus was. He just had a condition. So when the Bible says immediately he was clean, he was clean from what was touching him. Jesus did not touch the leper. He touched what was touching the leper.

See, see, see. Your leprosy will have you think that you are leprosy. Your condition will have you think that you are a liar. No—you told a lie. That doesn't make you a liar. Your condition will make you think you are a cheater. No—you cheated. You're not a cheater. Your condition cannot define you.

Then Jesus does one of the most interesting things. He says something that I keep finding throughout the Bible, and I'm still trying to dig into this exegetically to find out why. He says, "Now listen, I know you're excited. I would be too. But do me a favor. Don't go tell anybody."

You mean to tell me, after all that I've been through? You mean to tell me, after all these people who've been looking at me funny and ostracized me and tucked me away in the cave and left me to die, you mean to tell me that I thought that I had a death sentence, and then you come in here, touch me, and I'm clean, that I'm going to be silent? I will not be silent.

No, because I can't do that, Jesus. I love you. I appreciate you. But I got to go tell everybody.

And he tells him, "But go show yourself to the priest." I wish I had time for this—because the priest was the one who declared you unclean in the first place. When Lazarus gets healed, Jesus doesn't unwrap Lazarus. He tells them to do it. Because y'all are the one who wrapped him up. And since you declared him unclean, you're going to also be the one to declare him clean. And since you wrapped him up, you're also going to be the one to unwrap him.

This is why I don't do hater doctrine. Jesus is going to get rid of all my haters? I don't need him to get rid of my haters. I need them to stay as close as possible. Because when I come out of this, I'm taking you to lunch. I'm taking you to dinner. We're going to have coffee. And I'm going to show you my skin and say, "Look—you thought that I would be bound to this, but I serve the God of miracles. I serve the God who will never leave me. I serve the God who doesn't want me to stay in this. I serve a God who wants the best for me."

Watch this: he didn't leave him to just be healed. He touched him and made him whole. Touched him and he made him whole. Because church religion will have you addicted to healing. You don't want that. There's such a thing as healing addiction, which means you're not in touch with what healing actually does to you. You're in touch with how it feels to say you're healed. But the reality is, if you came to the altar right now and I spoke healing over your life, you would still have to leave out of here and believe you're healed. I don't care how you feel. You have to believe in the results. And the results take time and principle and obedience.

The Point: You Are Worthy and God Is Willing

Jesus lets him know just how worthy he actually is by touching him. I'm going to do the one thing nobody else wants to do. I'm going to touch you. I'm going to touch you. I'm going to touch you.

And this morning, he wants to touch somebody. He doesn't want to give you a word. This time, he wants to touch you. He wants to touch your infirmity. He wants to touch what scares people away. He wants to touch the thing that makes people back up from you. He wants to touch the thing that people are afraid of. He wants to touch the thing that makes you ostracized. He wants to touch the thing that you believe is you. He wants to touch you this morning so that you know you're worthy.

Here are my points:

Point number one: Miracles are for misfits too. You don't have to be special and run and jump and shout. Miracles are for you too. He wants you whole. Nothing missing, nothing broken.

Point number two: Humility beckons a miracle. You want a miracle? Humble yourself.

Point number three: Faith manifests miracles. This is important. Belief can be temporal. Faith is what actually stretches over time. Faith is increased the more it doesn't happen. The opposite of faith is not doubt. The opposite of faith is certainty. If it's certain, you don't need faith. Your faith is only increased when it's something that's uncertain. God is not trying to see what my people believe. He's trying to see: will they keep believing? When it doesn't happen, will you believe? When it doesn't look like it, will you believe? This series is simply to increase your faith.

Point number four: You are worthy and God is willing. You don't serve the God of checks in the mail. You don't serve the God of fairy dust and sprinkles. You don't serve a virtual Santa Claus who just rolls through the hood dropping blessings on people. You serve a God of miracles. You serve a God who can do anything but fail. You serve a God who is excited by what you think is impossible. You serve a God who specializes in turning heads and changing lives and revolutionizing lives.

I'm not telling you what I heard. I'm telling you what I know. You're looking at a man whose mom walked out on him when he was 12 years old and he didn't see her again until he was 26. It's easy for you to hear me say that and think, "Oh, well, he must have had aunts and uncles." No. It was just me and my sister fending for our lives for nine months. She woke up one morning and said, "I'll be back." And she never came back.

It wasn't until later in my life that I read a verse in Psalms that says, "When your mother and father forsake you, then I lift you up." I'm not telling you what I heard. I'm not even telling you what I read. I'm telling you what I know.

You're looking at a young man who got shot twice. I ain't telling you what I heard. I'm telling you what I know. You're looking at a man who almost died in the hospital fighting for my life because I contracted meningitis. My body temperature was so hot that in the hospital they were pouring ice on me just to try to get my temperature down. I'm not telling you what I read. I'm not telling you what I heard. I'm telling you what I know. He is a God of miracles.

And I don't know who you are. I don't know where you came from. I don't know what your leprosy looks like. I don't know how long you've been in it. I don't know who cast you out. I don't know who's talking about you. I don't know who's pushed you away. I don't know if your mom and dad like you. I don't know if you got friends. I don't know if you're struggling. But I do know: if you're in here, the God of miracles has a desire to touch you, right where you are.

The Altar Call

If you're in here this morning and you needed to know and hear about the God of miracles because you're in need of one, I want you to meet me at this altar. I'm not going to push. If you want it, come get it. If you don't, it's cool. This doesn't mean anything. You can get your miracle at home.

He is the God of miracles. When you get here, assume the position. Don't wait for me. Lift your hands. Hit your knees. Do whatever it takes to get his attention because the God of miracles is here. And I don't want you to leave the same way that you came.

Here's what a lot of people don't preach about the altar. The altar was not just a place where people came to pray and cry like we do today. The altar in that time and context was the place of slaughter. It was the place where things die. The altar is a bloody place. It's an ugly place. It's where you actually leave it here and you don't carry it back.

I need my own miracle, so I can't go for you. But when I'm telling you the God of miracles desires to touch you, that doesn't mean me. It means he wants to touch you. I want all over this altar and all over the room for those of you who said, "It's too crowded, I can't come." I want you to open up your mouth and go after God and your miracle like never before. Come on. Go after it. Give up. Give out. Slaughter it. Let it go.

Words of Prophetic Encouragement

There are four people in this room. You will know who you are when I start to speak. The problem with your life is you keep trying to attach yourself to every person but the right person. You run from the right people. You self-sabotage. That's your MO. That's how you live your life. You don't want to get too close to anybody because you don't want to be disappointed. God is healing your heart right now.

Here's the problem with self-sabotage: you will push away the person who God is sending to your life to make you whole. Listen, most of us don't understand this concept. When you want God to fix your situation, often times, most of the times, he comes into your life with two feet and two arms. He sends somebody. And if all you do is push people away, push people away, you will be praying for a breakthrough that was already there.

There are a couple of you under the sound of my voice. There is a ripple in your family. And the ripple has affected you so much that it's crippling. It's paralyzing because you don't understand why they just won't come back together, say that they're sorry, and keep it moving. The Holy Spirit is healing the ripple in your family. And here's why he's healing the ripple: because he cares that much about you. Your family is going to be a recipient of what he cares about.

Last thing the Holy Spirit told me: there's somebody in here who's been carrying resentment. You're carrying resentment because somebody confronted you and what they said wasn't all the way true, but it had truth to it. And it is your inability to be self-aware, to be able to see what was right about what they said—and now you're harboring resentment. God is healing your heart today. But that family ripple is messing you up. They don't even know how much you're affected. But God is going to heal that family because if he doesn't, you won't make it. Hearts are being healed all over this altar.

You are not what they said you are. You are not who they say you are. You are not what you've done. And when you walk out of here, it will not be so that people can see you right. It will be so you can see yourself right.

Now I want you to touch the person next to you. I love to do this. This is what I want you to do: a lot of the times in order to get your breakthrough, you need to get your mind off of it. For each and every person at this altar, I want you to forget about your issue and pray about theirs. We're going to forget about our issues because we trust God. He's got us taken care of. Now I want to pray for my neighbor and I want you to pray for them like your life depended on it.

Really quickly—10 seconds—I want you to tell them what you believe in God for. Don't be scared. Tell them what you believe in God for, because I want them to be specific when they pray. For those of you who are intimidated by this moment, you don't got to have all the words. Just say, "Lord, do it."

Now that you know what they're dealing with and what they're believing God for, I want you to go to work. Pray for your neighbor.