Follow Jesus Series 12

Jesus Is Leading Your Faith Deeper!

Text: John 4:43-54

Introduction:

Illustration: Dr. Helen Roseveare, missionary to Zaire, told the following story. “A mother at our mission station died after giving birth to a premature baby. We tried to improvise an incubator to keep the infant alive, but the only hot water bottle we had was beyond repair. So we asked the children to pray for the baby and for her sister. One of the girls responded. ‘Dear God, please send a hot water bottle today. Tomorrow will be too late because by then the baby will be dead. And dear Lord, send a doll for the sister so she won’t feel so lonely.’ That afternoon a large package arrived from England. The children watched eagerly as we opened it. Much to their surprise, under some clothing was a hot water bottle! Immediately the girl who had prayed so earnestly started to dig deeper, exclaiming, ‘If God sent that, I’m sure He also sent a doll!’ And she was right! The heavenly Father knew in advance of that child’s sincere requests, and 5 months earlier He had led a ladies’ group to include both of those specific articles.”

This story gives us an idea of where God always desires the health and depth of our faith to be.

Have you ever asked the question, “Why is this happening to me?” Overall it is simply God giving you an opportunity to dive deeper into your faith in Him.

We arrive at a time and place that prompts the question, why did Jesus return to the place of His first miracle; turning water into wine? There are a few reasons scholars give. Personally, I believe Jesus knew that the seed He had previously sowed needed cultivated.

1) Jesus Is Confronted With A Crisis

Verse 46

We are reminded of the individuality of Jesus’ ministry, “...a certain nobleman.”

Verse 47

Once again we see what prompted this recorded miracle was the news about where Jesus could be found.

Never underestimate the smallest of arrows that point others to Jesus!

This man was a nobleman and a father:

This man would have been wealthier than many.

Let this be a lesson for you that money nor position can remove disease, anxieties or death from anyone.

Quote: “Gold and silver can lift no man beyond the reach of trouble: they may shutout debt and rags, but they cannot shut out care, disease, and death. The higher the tree, the more it is shaken by storms: the broader its branches, the greater is the mark which it exposes to the tempest.” - J.C. Ryle

He traveled this distance to intercede for his dying son.

Let us not be foolish parents to speak as if none of our children could die before us!

Graveyards are full of those who we would consider very young.

The very first grave that was dug was for a young man!

King David witnessed three of his children buried.

Job lost all his children in one day.

APPLICATION - Prepare your families to meet the Lord every day God gives you!!! Put off nothing that speaks to eternity!!!

OBSERVATIONAL POINT: Jesus’ first miracle was a request from a mother and this request came from a father.

The man was clearly at His wit’s end and was in desperately in need of Jesus.

Notice the persistence of the man.

Luke 18:1-8 “And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint; Saying, There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man: And there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary. And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man; Yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me. And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith. And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them? I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?”

2) Jesus Issues A Faith Challenge

Verse 48

Jesus did not jump to answering this man’s desperate plea right away.

Jesus set the man’s lesser need aside to address his greatest need.

I am speaking of his faith.

What was Jesus trying to get across?

Jesus’ words were not only meant for this Nobleman/dad, but for the bystanders.

This man and others represented the kind of people who always needed their faith propped up by some kind of external work.

Verse 49

As you can tell, Jesus’ response seemed like an unnecessary discussion.

Have you ever thought that regarding how God seems to be responding to your requests?

This man’s attitude suggests that he considered Jesus wasting time.

You can hear the exasperation and desperation in his voice.

Notice how the language changed in how this father described his son; “son” to “my child.”

Jesus is always seeing what your faith needs before He answers the prayer.

Allow me to point out two mistakes made by this father:

First, he thought Jesus had to get physically closer to heal his son.

Second, if the boy died, it would be too late.

Verse 50

We get to the faith challenge.

Jesus is simply saying, “Let us see if you will believe without seeing. You want me to come to Capernaum. Well, I am not coming.”

I don’t have to travel physically for my words to reach him.

The task at hand was not Jesus’ confidence in Himself, but this man’s confidence in who Jesus said He was.

If you answer this question right in your heart when facing life’s challenges, you set yourself free from many unnecessary anxieties.

Jesus told him, “Go home, your son lives. I have commanded death to leave him.”

We have to commend this man for plunging his faith deeper into the words of Jesus.

He believed the word and acted on it.

There are countless stories of how a great blessing was on the other side of the positive response to God’s Word.

If we consider how late he would have had to travel those 20 some miles, and how that it would have been to dangerous to do alone, he probably didn’t travel until the next day.

Doesn’t this give enormous value to every promise of grace, mercy, peace, joy and comfort Jesus has made to all those who place their faith in Him?!

To rest your faith on every word of Jesus is like resting your feet on sold rock.

This has to magnify your assurance of your salvation!

Quote: “He could not be safer if he saw the book of life and his own name written in it.” - J.C. Ryle

John 6:63 “63 It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.”

3) Jesus Is Never Too Far Away

Verses 51-53

These last verses tell us how valuable this child’s physical sickness.

Notice the spiritual benefits that came from such a difficult moment:

A wealthy father understood that money is not divine.

His father understood more than every who Jesus truly was.

His father as well as their whole house surrendered true depending faith on Jesus as the Christ.

Affliction has often been one of God’s medicines for the soul.

Quote: Health is a great blessing, but sanctified disease is a greater. Prosperity and worldly comfort are what all naturally desire; but losses and crosses are far better for us, if they lead us to Christ. - J.C. Ryle

Hebrews 12:11 “11 Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.”

Romans 8:28 “28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”