John 4:43-54

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Complete Faith Intro: Nagpalit ug lechon para sa New year, gwapa kaayo tan-awon. murag crispy gyud ang panit. Excited na ang mga tao mo kaon sa lechon. Pag sugod na sa kaon, gi sliced na ang lechon ug sa dihang gi slice na ang lechon ilang nakita nga walay unod ang tiyan sa lechon! Unsay nahitabo? Gilap-lapan diya ang sulod sa lechon. Na scam sila!
Dili Diay Kompleto ang Lechon! Sa gawas murag okay kaayo kaonon, pero wala diay kay makaon kay sa sulod wala nay unod.
How do you know that a lechon is a complete lechon?
Kinahanglan siya kilatison, testingan, ablihan, hiwaon…
Ang kompleto nga pagtoo sama sad niana. Kinahanglan kilatison, testingan, ablihan…aron masayran ug tinoud ug kompleto ba gyud.
What is a complete faith? This morning, my prayer is that we will learn what a complete faith is and that later on, we will develop complete faith in our savior Jesus Christ.
Let us open our Bibles to John 4:43-54. I have entitled this morning’s sermon COMPLETE FAITH.
3 lessons about COMPLETE FAITH
Setting:
Where: from Samaria to Galilee (Cana) and he was received well.
When: After the feast in Jerusalem
Scene 1 - vv.46-50 - A father’s request for the healing of his sick and dying son.
Royal official - rich, honorable, favored by the people. He has money and position but his money and fame can’t help him heal his dying son. We are told of the sickness (fever) and it was severe and death-causing one (v.52)
If you are the Father with a dying child, what are the lengths of the things you would do? He probably went to different healers but to no avail so when he heard that Jesus had come to Galilee (v.47), with determination, ready himself, traveled to Galilee (about 40 KM)
v.47. He loved his son so much that he came to meet Jesus instead of sending his servants. This is a priority for him and you can imagine the desperation of the Father. He implored Jesus to come and heal his son.
Parents would move mountain (love and sacrifice) for his child.
v.48 Jesus - somehow challenged and tested the faith of the father and to the Galileans (you people) “unless you see signs and wonders, you simply will not believe” (v.48) .A faith built only on miraculous signs is not a complete faith. Jesus knew the hearts of the people - they are interested to see miracles but they don’t have faith in the message of salvation proclaimed by Jesus.
Problem: Many people come to Jesus not for salvation but for a solution to life’s problems and when they don’t experience healing or when life’s difficulties were not solved, they walk away from Jesus. They possess a superficial faith, not the saving faith. They are only after what Jesus can give them - they only want the benefits but not the commitment to follow Jesus. To see if the faith is genuine or not, it should be tested.
Here we see the first lesson of what complete faith is…

I. A complete faith is a FAITH TESTED

There will be times our faith in Jesus will be tested and tried if it is superficial or genuine.
Sickness are one of the ways that God used to to test if our faith in Jesus is COMPLETE!
God can use other things to test our faith - ex. Rich man (tested and failed because he loves his wealth more than Jesus), Abraham (tested and passed because he believed God can restore Isaac’s life).
Do I still follow Jesus even if I don’t experience physical healing? or if I will not become rich? If God will not give me the man or woman that I’ve been praying for?
Transition: God used the sickness to test the father’s faith in Jesus. Let us learn then how to respond when faith is tested. Let’s read verse 49.
v.49. The Father responded with desperate faith “Sir, come down before my child dies”. He believed Jesus is able to heal if he could just come and see the child and do his work. But this is a superficial kind of faith because it has limited view of Jesus - as a healer but not a savior. He came to Jesus not for salvation but for the healing of his dying child.
v.50 Jesus did not comply to the Father’s desperate request. Instead, Jesus said,”Go, your son lives!” 4 words, a command given to the Father that his beloved child will live. Walay resita nga gihatag or tambal nga gihatag para ipainom sa bata nga himatyon. Will the words of Jesus enough to heal the child?
The father believed the words of Jesus (v.50). He did not argue with Jesus. He simply believed and went home.
He DISPLAYED FAITH first before seeing the healing (result). Now, this is the deeper kind of faith. The words of Jesus was enough for Him to believe without seeing the result.
Here we see the second lesson of what complete faith is…

II. A complete faith is a FAITH DISPLAYED.

Genuine faith is displayed by believing without seeing. The father went home, with confidence in the words of Jesus.
Reflection:
How easy for you to believe the words of Jesus?
Am I a “Live by Faith and not by sight.” person?
When sickness and trials comes, do I pray instead of panic?
Examples of faith displayed - Hebrews 11. (they believed before seeing)
they were able to display their faith but not without testing (waiting, persevering).
Transition: So a complete faith is both tested and displayed…and the 3rd lesson about complete faith is in the next verses.
v.51 - He went home with a deeper faith that his child will not die. He met his slaves bringing the good news!
v.52 - He inquired of the time of healing - to verify that it was Jesus who healed the child.
v.53. He confirmed that it was Jesus who healed his child.
The powerful words of Jesus again is displayed to show He is God and he is powerful over sickness (short distance or long distance).
Many times, we pray and asked the Lord to do something for us - healing, provision, etc. and we give instructions to the Lord how He should do it.
Notice in this story that although Jesus does not grant his request to go with him to Capernaum, but Jesus gives him far more than he asked. So our heavenly Father often does not comply with our prayers in every detail but goes to work in an unexpected way to help us, so that we may learn not to dictate to Him in anything.
Indeed, God’s ways are higher than our ways! and God’s ways are more effective!
v.53. He believed and he brought his whole household to faith in Jesus. More than the healing, His faith being modeled to his family is more important. When genuine faith is modeled correctly, it will impact our family to believe in Jesus as their Lord and Savior.
That is what the healing is all about - for them and for us to BELIEVE in JESUS as God, not just a healer of the body but the savior of the soul!
This is the 3rd and last lesson about COMPLETE FAITH.

III. A complete faith is a FAITH MODELED.

It was tested, displayed, and now modeled.
Genuine faith when modeled correctly impacts the salvation of other people.
Reflection:
How do I model my faith in Jesus to my family?
There will be testings and trials that will come in the family but when they see your faith in Jesus causes you to be calm and peaceful (dili init ug ulo ug saputon), hopeful not hopeless, respectful, prayerful, worshipful despite the difficulties, it will make them want to become like you - a believer of Jesus.
A complete faith is faith that is tested, displayed and modeled.
As we end the year 2024, let us take this time to reflect and examine our FAITH in Jesus (let’s bow down our heads)
We may develop a complete faith in Christ starting this year 2025.
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