Are signs and wonders for today? A series of 13 sermons by John Piper about that question and related issues :

• Compassion, Power and the Kingdom of God: An Introduction. What is the nature of the kingdom of God? And what is the "power" that the kingdom exerts now in the church?
• What Are We Up Against? Satan is not opposed to most ordinary things you do, as long as you do them like the rest of the world.
• Kingdom Compassion and the Killing of Children. Peaceful, non-violent, ready-to-suffer protest is one way that the truth and beauty of God's kingdom shines in this world.
• The Importance of the Kingdom Today. Since Jesus has come, God exerts his right to rule in new and powerful ways.
• Is the Kingdom Present or Future? The kingdom of God is present and future. There has been fulfillment, but there has not been consummation.
• How is the Kingdom Present? The kingdom has come and it has overcome the aimlessness and futility of our lives and given us an awesome reason to live.
• Are Signs and Wonders for Today? Did the apostles have spiritual gifts that are now obsolete?
• Gifts of Healings and Workings of Miracles. "Gifts of healings" and "workings of miracles" are for the church and the mission of Christ in the world today.
• The Elders, the People, and the Prayer of Faith. James 5 is a rebuke to pastors that never have the faith to heal and churches that don't pray in the spirit of Elijah.
• When Will Prophecy Cease? The spiritual gift of prophecy has not passed away, but is meant for the good of the church until Jesus comes.
• The Authority and Nature of the Gift of Prophecy. Prophecy is prompted and sustained by the Spirit and yet does not carry intrinsic, divine authority.
• Why the Gift of Prophecy is Not the Usual Way of Knowing God's Will? God doesn't tell us to forsake thinking and just listen for messages. He tells us to be changed in the way we think.
• "You Will See the Son of Man Seated at the Right Hand of Power and Coming on the Clouds of Heaven." Deep down we know so much truth that we fear and thereby deny.

This series of sermon builds on the premise that "the kingdom of God does not consist in talk but in power" (1 Cor 4.20). It accordingly helps us understand the nature and extent of this kingdom, but not before bringing to our awareness that there also exist another kingdom waring against the kingdom of God. It is within that context that spiritual gifts are to be used for the glory of Christ.

How did this series of sermons challenge the way you understand your current participation in the kingdom of God?