Yeah, here we go with the "signs and wonders" discussion, which is actually a derail of the thread, but it seems unavoidable.
Jesus' sending out of the Twelve and the Seventy was entirely different than our sending out of missionaries, doing street ministry, evangelism, etc. We are known quantity, and so is Christ, whether He is accepted or rejected. That wasn't the case with the sending out of those two groups.
They were given "signs and wonders" to confirm their identity with Christ, and His identity with the Father. The message had to be confirmed other than by words, because anyone could speak words. The proof of the Divine nature of their preaching and teaching was in the power they were allowed to display in Christ.
We do not need those miraculous signs today. We have the testimony of 2,000 years of witnesses to His grace, power, love, and Deity. We can speak of the change made in our lives, and those who knew us before and after our encounter with Christ prove His message that comes through us.
Signs and wonders as practiced and claimed today are unnecessary and largely distractions rather than signposts.
I remember being on a mission trip and ministering to very poverty stricken, Appalachian people in the hills of West Virginia. The living conditions were 3rd world. The people knew that Jesus died for them, they had heard the gospel and believed it, but were weary with life.
A very frustrated & Broken woman confronted our team, with her 5 year old daughter, that had a very serious fever and had developed it 3 days before. They had no way to go to a Doctor and were doing the best they could attempting to help this very sick child.
I heard the Holy Spirit start speaking to me, and it was one 3 word phrase. Demonstrate the kingdom!
I asked if we could pray for the child and we were granted that permission. I laid my hands on that precious child, that was being held in the arms of her Father. I jsut remember praying quietly and waiting on the Holy Spirit. I also remember my hands grew so hot, I mean they felt like fire, I finally was released by the Holy Spirit and softly said, In the name of Jesus, I command this fever to go and instantly that child was made whole! I remember the last instruction of the HOly Spirit to me, was to tell her Momma to fix her something to eat. We had brought food with us and that little girl ate a box of mac and cheese, a big piece of ham, 2 biscuits and and drank 3 glasses of milk. The whole area proclaimed praises to God and the parents later told us she had not eaten anything for 3 days.
This event spread through the hills and people came and God healed ALL for 12 hours and with no altar call, no fancy church, no light show, no P&W music, no preaching, just the Holy Spirit touching lives, because a team of 6 people moved with the compassion of God and without staggering believed the God of Yesterday, is the God of today.
You see VW Jesus could do no sign, wonder or miracle until he was moved with compassion, and that is one of the main reasons the church does not see them today. The other thing you need to know is that Jesus did not do signs,wonders and miracles, because he was the SON of GOD or used his GOD powers to do it. No he did those things because he was anointed with power and the Holy Spirit. It did not stop with the Apostles, it only stops when the Holy Spirit cannot work through the owners of hearts that cannot be move din compassion or do not believe they are anointed with the Holy Spirit and power and through Jesus Christ go around doing good , healing all who are oppressed by the Devil.
Go ahead now and call me a liar and go empty out hospital rooms, graveyards, mental institutions and how I glory in my flesh and all the rest of the excuses you guys like to give to convince yourselves that God is not the same today as he was yesterday.