Living Miracles: The unseen
Notes
Transcript
Week 3 of our living Miracles is here! This week we will see the healing of the officials son. We find Jesus who had gone to the samaritan town and a whole group of people put their faith in Jesus not because of what they had seen but because of His word. This week we find Jesus drawing us to the place of conviction in wether or not we believe Him without signs. Many of us are guilty of the prayers. God please grant this so that I can know you are real in my life. God please do this so I can see your hand at work in my life. We ask for miracles so that our faith can be made whole. This week we find someone who asked for a miracle and Jesus concern with this man is not the act of performing a miracle for him it is the fact that without the act this man would not have believed that He was the Messiah. Turn with me in your Bible to John 4: 46-54. In this passage of Scriptue we will see that Jeus is drawing us to live this miracle through cultivating conviction that what He is doing is often unseen. Profoundly proves that He is able to do things that with our eyes are unseen. Declares a Destiny of His faithfulness even when we cannot see Him.
I love bird watching. I am not a professional bird watcher or even an amateur, I am just apprciative of the beauty of God’s creation. My family and I took a trip to White springs a few years back and stayed at a cabin. While we were there we enjoyed the outdoors and the time we had together. We had all kinds of birds around and I loved seeing all of them. I started to investigate each type of bird. One night I was out on the deck with the lights out and I heard an owl outside our cabin. Intrigued I went outside of the porch to see if I could spot the bird. In the pitch black I was unable to see anything and as soon as I stepped outside the owl stopped talking. I went back inside and within 3 minutes the bird was back to talking. I went back outside and it stopped talking. This went on a few times until my wife finally told me it was time to come in to bed. I finally settled on the fact that I knew for a fact that was an owl even though I would never see Him with my eyes.
One day we will see Jesus, but my question for you this morning is are you content with who He says He is, or are you one that must see His signs to believe in who He said He is? Let’s read the Scripture this morning.
46 So he came again to Cana in Galilee, where he had made the water wine. And at Capernaum there was an official whose son was ill. 47 When this man heard that Jesus had come from Judea to Galilee, he went to him and asked him to come down and heal his son, for he was at the point of death. 48 So Jesus said to him, “Unless you see signs and wonders you will not believe.” 49 The official said to him, “Sir, come down before my child dies.” 50 Jesus said to him, “Go; your son will live.” The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and went on his way. 51 As he was going down, his servants met him and told him that his son was recovering. 52 So he asked them the hour when he began to get better, and they said to him, “Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him.” 53 The father knew that was the hour when Jesus had said to him, “Your son will live.” And he himself believed, and all his household. 54 This was now the second sign that Jesus did when he had come from Judea to Galilee.
Cultivated Conviction: Jesus is doing work unseen
Cultivated Conviction: Jesus is doing work unseen
46 So he came again to Cana in Galilee, where he had made the water wine. And at Capernaum there was an official whose son was ill. 47 When this man heard that Jesus had come from Judea to Galilee, he went to him and asked him to come down and heal his son, for he was at the point of death. 48 So Jesus said to him, “Unless you see signs and wonders you will not believe.”
Jesus in this moment makes a very bold statement to someone who likely did not know who Jesus was before he heard some talking of His miracles in Jerusalem. This man an official of some form The word used here indicates him as the King’s man. As such this man was not lilely at the meal when Jesus performed the miracle of turning water into wine. But being from the area it was certain that he had heard of all that Jesus had done. This man who has been the king’s man is now moved to a place of believing in Jesus. So much so that he makes a 20 mile journey to see Jesus. This may seem insignificant to us since we have vehicles that can make a 20 mile drive in about 15 minutes, less if the speed limit is a suggestion for you. For this man though it would have been a before dawn start and finally arriving some time around noon. So this man finds Jesus and he says to Jesus. Look I have heard all that you are doing and I need you to perform a miracle for me. He presents Jesus with his needs. Is this not like all of us? We find ourselves at the bottom of the barrel, at wits end, at the place where we cannot do anything for ourselves, so we go to Jesus. Why did this man go to Jesus? Because of the things that were said about Him. This man had not seen any of the miracles that Jesus had performed he had only heard of them. I know that many folks in here were looking for the condemnation of this man. Here is what I am going to say. This man heard what Jesus had done and he left his child on his death bed to go and find Jesus becuase he believed that Jesus could heal his son. Jesus was going to prove to this man that He could do things even when we do not see Him do it. Look what Jesus does here.
48 So Jesus said to him, “Unless you see signs and wonders you will not believe.”
Jeusus says to the man you will not believe unless you see. This is not a condemnation of this man but is rather a challenge of his faith. Jesus is calling into question if this man really beleives that Jesus is who he says he is or if he is just grasping at straws because he has resigned that his son is going to die anyway. Jesus is challenging this man to understand what he truly believed.
The content of belief is important: Jonathan Whitfield was preaching to coal miners in England. He asked one man, "What do you believe?" "Well, I believe the same as the church." "And what does the church believe?" "Well, they believe the same as me." Seeing he was getting nowhere, Whitfield said, "And what is it that you both believe?" "Well, I suppose the same thing."
What we believe is vitally important. Jesus has presented us with a challenge in this miracle of believing something we are not in the room to see. Jesus provides a profound proof in this miracle that He does things that may go completely unseen and that we are to believe He is who He says He is based on his Word. Are you a believe that believes in Jesus because of who He is or a believed that believes, only when you see? The scripture gives us understanding of the conviction that Jesus is bringing this ruler too.
1 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.
29 Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
7 for we walk by faith, not by sight.
24 For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.
8 Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, 9 obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
Are you seeing where the scripture is going here? It is time that we believe in Jesus not for the things we want to see but for the things He said about himself. We hope in who He said He is not what He can do for us. Jesus called this ruler to a place of conviciton. If you are going to believe in me it is going to be because of who I am and not what I can do.
Profound proof: He can do things we cannot see
Profound proof: He can do things we cannot see
49 The official said to him, “Sir, come down before my child dies.” 50 Jesus said to him, “Go; your son will live.” The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and went on his way. 51 As he was going down, his servants met him and told him that his son was recovering.
Jesus did something here that in the moment of conviction challenged the rulers faith. All that this man had heard of Jesus, I am sure he was expecting that Jesus would go with him to his house. Instead Jesus says look, your son will live. What is vitally important is the next words. The man believed the word that Jesus spoke and went on his way. Would you do that?
Let’s say for a moment that your child was dying and you heard of one doctor hundreds of miles away. You left your child on their death bed to find this doctor. When you found the doctor the doctor said to I know you wil not believe in me without seeing me do something so, go back home your child will be healed by time you get back. Would you leave without that doctor? Are you willing to simply believe that without seeing your child or touching your child this doctor could heal your child? This is where Jeus had brought this ruler to. What it say is that yes he did in fact believe that Jesus could do it and he went on his way.
A man fell off a cliff, but managed to grab a tree limb on the way down. The following conversation ensued:
"Is anyone up there?"
"I am here. I am the Lord. Do you believe me?"
"Yes, Lord, I believe. I really believe, but I can't hang on much longer."
"That's all right, if you really believe you have nothing to worry about. I will save you. Just let go of the branch."
Jesus provided a profound proof in this scripture that He can do things that we are unable to see or be present for. Jesus does not need to walk into a room to heal someone. Jesus does not need to be in the presence to change history. The mere existence of Jesus changed the world forever. Are you in a place of faith where you believe in the person of Jesus and what He does? Jesus says here I am greater than my physical presence. There is power even in the name of Jesus.
13 Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.
9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
12 And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
17 And these signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; 18 they will pick up serpents with their hands; and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover.”
The profound proof is that Jeus is more than just his presence. Just the name of Jesus is enough to change the world. Do you belive in Jesus and the power that is in His name? Are you living the miracle by accepting the power that Jeus has to change the world. This is not a power for you to go around performing miracles or giving people what they want. This is the power to change the lives of people with the thing they need, the presence of Jesus. Jesus convicted this ruler and challenged his faith. Jesus then provided a profound proof by healing his son. But Jesus also provided a declared destiny in those who believe in Him.
Declared Destiny
Declared Destiny
52 So he asked them the hour when he began to get better, and they said to him, “Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him.” 53 The father knew that was the hour when Jesus had said to him, “Your son will live.” And he himself believed, and all his household. 54 This was now the second sign that Jesus did when he had come from Judea to Galilee.
Jesus challenged this ruler, this ruler believed in who Jesus was without seeing the sign. Because of his belief in Jesus his son was healed and his whole household came to know the Lord. We are here today with a distinct challenge being laid before us. Wil we truly believe in the power of Jeus to change lives and live in that power even if Jesus is not performing world stopping miracles. Are we willing to walk in faith even before we have seen the fruit of our labor? This ruler walked in his faith and believed what Jesus said even before he saw what Jeuss had done. Are you giving your life to victory? Are you willing to walk in victory? That vitory is ours if we will only walk as those faithful to the promises that Jesus gave, not always looking for signs but trusting in the person of Jesus.
As a fatherI can tell you that sometimes keeping my promises is a pain. Have you ever promised your children something, then they will not let you rest until you fulfil that promise? I promised my boys that I would take them fishing and every day, no matter how hot, how cold, how rainy. They wanted to go fishing. They would not stop. Every day they woke up knowing that we were going fishing. I took them fishing and we had a great time. I guess the thing I learned in this is that my children had faith that we were going fishing even when everything aorund them said that we were not. They did not care about the weather because the weather did not matter, what mattered was that dad said he was going to take us fishing. They trusted in what I said no matter the extenal conditions.
Do you trust this morning the things that Jesus says? Do you believe in the person of Jesus, or do you only believe in the miracels of Jesus. If the miracles do not happen your faith will fade? We live this miracle this week by finding ourselves in the same conviction of the ruler, do we believe what Jesus says. We find profound proof that Jeus comes thorugh, and we can rest in the declared destiny that He is faithul to His word.
5 Righteousness shall be the belt of his waist,
and faithfulness the belt of his loins.
3 a bruised reed he will not break,
and a faintly burning wick he will not quench;
he will faithfully bring forth justice.
24 Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.
28 Jesus said to them, “Truly, I say to you, in the new world, when the Son of Man will sit on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 29 And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name’s sake, will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life.
What Jesus says can be believed in because He is faithful. Are you ready to live miracle number 2 and unleash the power of lving for Jesus in your life?
3 For still the vision awaits its appointed time;
it hastens to the end—it will not lie.
If it seems slow, wait for it;
it will surely come; it will not delay.
