Mark 16:15-18 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.

Where are these signs today? If they’re not here, what is wrong? They were promised to follow… so what is the problem?

This is the question that comes up every Pentecost. Everyone agrees that we need to clean up the camp, to get ourselves right and God will work with us… which is absolutely foundational and 100% true.

However, that is only the first part of why the signs are missing today. To learn the other part, you must first understand their purpose.

When God gives a sign, the world will take the person who works the miracle as a man sent by God. In effect, God “SIGNS” His name to this person, and says “yes, this person is sent by me – that is what I wanted said – here’s proof”.

1 Kings 17:22-24 And the LORD heard the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the child came into him again, and he revived. And Elijah took the child, and brought him down out of the chamber into the house, and delivered him unto his mother: and Elijah said, See, thy son liveth. And the woman said to Elijah, Now by THIS I know that thou art a man of God, and that the word of the LORD in thy mouth is TRUTH.

God proved that He spoke by Elijah through that mighty miracle. And many others, also. He did the same thing for Jesus Christ.

Acts 2:22 Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs,which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know:

The signs were given to Christ to show the world that he came with God’s authority. The same signs were promised to the disciples of Christ in Mark 16 for the exact same reason. When he sent the disciples to “all the world” he promised the signs to show that he backed them up as well. That they really DID speak with his authority.

The signs WILL not, CANNOT be given to a man, or group of men, who will not say what God wants said, HOW He wants it said.

What does God want preached? And why isn’t he showing signs in the church today? You’ll find the answer in the time when the most powerful miracles in history were performed in the Church Of God… the book of Acts.

What were the apostles preaching then?

Acts 2:36-38 Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom YE have crucified, both Lord and Christ. Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? Then Peter said unto them, REPENT, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

At the time when God’s spirit was at its absolute peak in the Church of God – When the Church grew the fastest – THIS is the message they were preaching. THIS is how they were preaching, and THIS is the time they were followed with signs, as promised in Mark 16.

These signs were not just given for the first Pentecost, not just as a sign then… They were promised to follow “them that believe”… anytime they were WORTHY of being backed up with mighty wonders.

Now why isn’t God confirming the messages of men today? Because the messages lack the strength you find in the bible! Who preaches a message like this…

Isaiah 1:4 Ah sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evildoers, children that are corrupters: they have forsaken the LORD, they have provoked the Holy One of Israel unto anger, they are gone away backward.

Noone is telling the world, or the church, to repent today! Not on anything close to the scale that Peter did! He told the people that they had KILLED their CREATOR! Peter preached REPENTANCE. The very same thing Christ preached.

Matthew 4:17 From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, REPENT: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

Christ came teaching REPENTANCE – the most basic cornerstone of our faith. (Hebrews 6)

Not only that, but each and every time God sent a prophet, a disciple, or an apostle out to preach in his name, he sent them out with a very definite command, as in Mark 16… a few examples, of the many:

Luke 24:45-47 Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures, And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: And that REPENTANCE and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.

Ezekiel 14:6 Therefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord GOD; REPENT, and turn yourselves from your idols; and turn away your faces from all your abominations.

Acts 26:19-20 Whereupon, O king Agrippa, I (Paul) was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision: But showed first unto them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judaea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance.

The disciples were sent directly by God to preach that men should REPENT. This does NOT mean a soft message. When you tell someone to repent, you’re telling them that they are WRONG and that they must CHANGE and NEVER do it again. And repentance is the core of all these commissions, and every time Christ sent a disciple or a prophet, REPENTANCE is what they were sent to preach.

Mark 6:7, 12-13 And he called unto him the twelve, and began to send them forth by two and two; and gave them power over unclean spirits; ….. And they went out, and preached that men should REPENT. And they cast out many devils, and anointed with oil many that were sick, and healed them.

These men were followed with signs, as God promised – before he promised it, actually. What were they doing at the time? What were they teaching? REPENTANCE!

By whom is He commanding the world to REPENT today? Whose message is like Isaiah 1 today? WHO today is followed with signs – like those men were who preached repentance? And WHO will be hated of all nations for His name’s sake – And WHY? If you preach that men should repent, you WILL be HATED.

Whose message is STRONG enough, and TRUE enough, and what God WANTS preached enough…that God DARES give a sign to back it up?

The SHAMEFUL truth is that the church today lacks RIGHTEOUSNESS, and STRENGTH… it is COWARDLY with the truth, for fear of OFFENDING someone.

It lacks the GUTS to stand up and say what is TRUE, and God is not SIGNING His name to their efforts with miracles today, either!