Believing is Seeing

Signs exists for the purpose of pointing to something else.  They are indicators of something greater.  And when you see it you would do well to adhere to its message.  Signs can warn us.  Signs can inform us.  Signs  can communicate, as in sign language.  But here is the common thread; you believe what the sign says without seeing what the sign is talking about, you believe it before you see it.

When you are driving and you see a sign that says dead end…

…and you see a sign that says exit in two miles…

When you are walking and you see a orange hand appear on the screen across the street…

When you are shopping and you see a yellow fold up sign with a stick falling…

Superficial Faith doesn’t Save(v.43-48)

The People of Galilee

They wanted stuff not the savior. Materials not the Master.

The Father- He knows Jesus is known to perform miracles, but He hasn’t understood Jesus to be the Messiah.

“Unless you people see signs and wonders, you simply will no believe.”

Believe it Until you See it (v.49-53a)

When Jesus makes his statement the man’s response is what gets me. He is unconcerned with all of that. He is desperate, and his desperation moves Jesus.

The Official has a choice to make now. He can either believe Jesus’s word and go home, or he can disbelieve Jesus and go home. Either way eventually he has to go back. Might as well do something different this time.

The difference in the father’s faith lies in his willingness to trust Jesus when Jesus isn’s physically present. In ancinet times it was believed that the physical presence was nessesary to see

Families Follow the Father (v.53b)

1. Dad & Mom regular churchgoers >> 32.8% of children regular churchgoers

2. Dad regular, Mom irregular >> 37.7%

3. Mom regular, Father irregular >> 3.4%

4. Dad regular, Mother non-practicing >> 44.2%

5. Mom regular, Dad non-practicing >> 1.5%

Those numbers are staggering.

(Preach why we should pray for Father’s)

Children are TEN TIMES More Likely to be Regular Churchgoers When Dad Takes an Active Part in His Faith

This is what happened. He believed the word first. Then he gets home and sees what he believed Jesus for. This then must have shown his family that if he did it for Daddy.