1306 - Chain Reaction Faith

John 4:46-54 (NKJV)

The New King James Version Chapter 4

46 So Jesus came again to Cana of Galilee where He had made the water wine. And there was a certain nobleman whose son was sick at Capernaum. 47 When he heard that Jesus had come out of Judea into Galilee, he went to Him and implored Him to come down and heal his son, for he was at the point of death. 48 Then Jesus said to him, “Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will by no means believe.”

49 The nobleman said to Him, “Sir, come down before my child dies!”

50 Jesus said to him, “Go your way; your son lives.” So the man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him, and he went his way. 51 And as he was now going down, his servants met him and told him, saying, “Your son lives!”

52 Then he inquired of them the hour when he got better. And they said to him, “Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him.” 53 So the father knew that it was at the same hour in which Jesus said to him, “Your son lives.” And he himself believed, and his whole household.

54 This again is the second sign Jesus did when He had come out of Judea into Galilee.

TITLE: Chain Reaction Faith

Introduction

A chain-reaction is “a series of events, each caused by the previous one.”

Crisis Faith (v.47)

This nobleman had a crisis: his son was “at the point of death.”

He had heard that Jesus was in Galilee.

He must also have known that Jesus could heal.

When we have crisis, the best place to turn is Jesus.

But we should not stop at crisis faith...

Continuing Faith (v.49)

Jesus rebukes this nobleman and those gathered around, “Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will by no means believe.”

Some only want miracles, and Jesus was testing this nobleman’s faith.

This nobleman passed the test and the chain-reaction produced “continuing” faith.

“Sir, come down before my child dies!”

TAKE NOTE: he wants Jesus to come to his house and heal his son.

Confident Faith (v.50)

What do you do when you don’t get the answer the way you wanted it?

Jesus didn’t “come down” with this nobleman.

Instead, Jesus spoke the word of healing: “Jesus said to him, ‘Go your way; your son lives.’”

This nobleman could have stopped the chain-reaction here, but thankfully he chose to express confident faith.

“So the man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him, and he went his way.”

Confirmed Faith (v.51-53a)

Up to this point, the chain-reaction has been all because of this nobleman. He has made decisions that have move his faith from crisis faith, to continuing faith, and now to confident faith.

Once you get to confident faith, the chain-reaction moves for you!

This nobleman’s faith is about to transition into confirmed faith.

“And as he was now going down, his servants met him, and told him, saying, “Your son lives!”

“The he inquired of them the hour when he got better. And they said to him, “Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him.”

“So the father knew that it was the same hour in which Jesus said to him, “Your son lives.”...

Contagious Faith (v.53b)

But the beautiful thing about confirmed faith is that it immediately becomes contagious faith.

“…And he himself believed, and his whole household.”

I don’t know how many were in this nobleman’s household, but I do know it would include his wife, children, relatives, and any servants working for him.

Our faith needs to become contagious, but the only way it will become contagious is by bringing our crisis faith to God, then continuing in spite of what happens… then being confident in His word… and then, we will see confirmed and contagious faith...