How To Embrace The Supernatural - Steve Bateman - Vineyard 61 Church

·31 min·3 clips

Why did Maltese natives think a snakebite proved Paul was a murderer, while Luke saw Jesus' protection?

Steve Bateman, lead pastor of Vineyard 61 Church, delivers a sermon titled 'How To Embrace The Supernatural' as the final part of a series on the book of Acts. He begins by noting that the Great Commission could be fulfilled in this generation if the church uses Acts as a training manual. Bateman introduces the concept of worldviews, using the story from Acts 28 where Paul is bitten by a viper on Malta. He contrasts Luke's biblical interpretation—that Jesus protected Paul—with the Maltese natives' belief that a goddess called Justice was punishing a murderer. Bateman then applies this to modern listeners, suggesting 21st-century Londoners would explain the event with natural causes like an old snake or weak venom. He defines worldview as the cognitive lens through which people interpret events, often operating subconsciously. Bateman distinguishes between mental agreement and faith, warning that spiritual dysfunction can be disguised as virtue. He describes the supernatural as messy and awkward on earth, though natural in heaven, and points to Jesus as a model of combined power and vulnerability. Bateman emphasizes that supernatural ministries like healing, deliverance, and prophecy should reflect God's nature of humility, not just might. He argues that believers who accept core Christian doctrines like resurrection should easily embrace supernatural elements like healing. Bateman challenges the congregation to stop craving respectable God experiences and instead rush into impossible situations, such as knife crime in London, where the world lacks solutions. He concludes by inviting those needing a fresh biblical worldview to stand, framing the supernatural as a call to mission.

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