Sermon Tone Analysis

That you may Believe and Have Life

John #16

*John 4:46-5:14*

*Taking Jesus At His Word*

 

Imagine if you will, you’re driving to work and you top the hill on in the glare you think you see something, you squint, “does that, is that” and as you get closer you see a Billboard with I LOVE YOU written in big letters and your name on it.

Imagine coming home and finding your favorite meal, or favorite flowers, other expressions of love.

\\ Imagine you begin to talk to people who have known this person longer and they tell you, one after another, that this person is a person of love, sensitivity, integrity.

They tell you that you can always believe this person and take them at their word.

Not only are they trustworthy, but you can’t find anyone who can think of one time when they weren’t loving, they weren’t compassionate.

Imagine though that you marry that person and over 10-15 and they are never without trust, they are never unloving, and yet, you still doubt them, you still question every move, you still fail to trust?

Last Sunday night during my concert, I asked you a question, I want to ask you again.

What more must Jesus do for you?

Does he need to tell you “I love you another way?

Did you see the sun come up?

Have you experienced his love?

Have you looked to the cross?

Has he ever broken trust with you?

I’m not asking if he has always given you what you want, but has he ever failed you or anyone you’ve ever talked to.

I’m not asking if you have always understood everything in your life … but has God let you down?

What MORE does Jesus have to do for you?

Would it be alright if he NEVER did another thing

 

Let’s begin in chapter 4 and move into Chapter 5

As we read, I want you to pay special attention to the words of Jesus.

Perhaps in your Bible hey are written in Red.

If NOT … I want you to underline them as I read them and I want you to imagine Jesus speaking those words directly to you

 

*READ 4:43-5:14*

 

What is it in your life today that Jesus is trying to say to you?

Is there any area where you are trying to get direction or an answer from Christ?

Is Jesus trying to get you to follow him, obey him, trust him in a particular venue?

V 46 says “ONCE MORE he visited Cana in Galilee”

 

What did he do in Cana in Galilee?

He transformed ordinary water in the best wine they had ever tasted

 

Now, we have two situations here, one is life and death and the other is quality of life.

Please don’t read their circumstance into your circumstance.

That is NOT the point of my thoughts today.

However, there are principles for whatever your circumstance.

Jesus is NOT required to do for you what he has done for someone else

Jesus is NOT required to always do what you think is best

But Jesus WILL always true, trustworthy, faithful, and Holy

 

3 things I want you to consider today

·         *A Question*

·         *A Challenge and then *

·         *A Principle*

 

First a Question

 

*1.

Do You HAVE to See it to Believe it?*

* *

Could I say it this way, If you believe, you don’t have to see.

Jesus showed Thomas his hands and his feet, his side because Thomas said, /“Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe it.”

/

In John 20:29 Jesus said /“because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”/

Maybe a more important question is does Jesus have to do something for you in order for you to believe him?

Is having your current circumstance go your way AS important as a deep intimate relationship with Jesus Christ?

Do you remember when the first miracle was performed I explained to you the purpose of the sign.

Remember that when referring to a supernatural move of Christ, something that we would call a miracle, John never uses the word “miracle”.

The NIV translates it “miraculous sign”

The Greek is the word /“semeion ~/say*-mi*-on~/ sign, mark, token, that by which a person or a thing is distinguished from others and is known, miracles by which God authenticates the men sent by him or y which men can prove that the cause they are pleading is God’s/

 

The purpose of the miracles that Jesus performed was to reveal him as the Christ so that people would believe

 

John wrote in John 20:31 /these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name/

 

The purpose of the miracles was to be the Scriptures Lived out

 

The reason the authors of the Old and New Testament were inspired to write were NOT so God could get the press.

God is great and doesn’t need his name in the paper to boost his ego

But we needed them written that we might know and believe and trust and walk with him

 

If God just gave you what you wanted, you might miss something even greater that he would rather do through you

 

Jesus said that we have to see “signs and wonders” …

I already told you that signs are for revelation … they are like a signal saying “this way, place your believe here, set it down right here”

God gave the signs, God gave the Word of God so we would know”

But “wonders” … Greek word /teras ~/*ter-*as~/ a prodigy, portent, miracle/

You’ve heard the word prodigy but if you’re like me you may have heard portent, but might not know what it means

/Portent – something that foreshadows a coming even, prophetic indication/

/Prodigy – a portentous event; omen/

/Omen – an occurrence believe to portend a future event/

 

Jesus performed miracles as a sign to reveal him and as a wonder so you would know that GREATER things are to come …

 

We think of the Miracles as the amazing thing

We even look at those miracles enviously sometimes saying, “Jesus why don’t you do that for me.”

Jesus you made a lame man walk, why won’t you get rid of this limp I’ve got.

\\ Jesus you made a blind man see, why do I have to wear these stinking glasses

Jesus healed a woman of pain in her stomach, why won’t you take away MY pain in my arm.

Jesus, you raised the dead …

Now, hear me clearly, there is nothing wrong with desiring Jesus to something wondrous in your life.

But does he HAVE to do what you want in order for you to believe in him?

Instead of requiring him to do for you what he has done for someone else, some sign, but miracles are just some portent, some omen as to a greater thing to come,

 

I’m asking for the greater thing

 

“Jesus, I would love for you to take care of this minor thing if you can, but Lord give me the greater thing.

Lord take me into a deeper relationship with you, Lord use me in the process of working salvation in someone’s life.

Jesus make me an instrument of thy peace.”

“Lord give me the ability to SEE without SIGHT, the ability to BELIEVE without further sign.”

Even after Jesus had healed, raised the dead, made the lame to walk, Thomas wanted more … Lord let me receive what you have already given.

So the question is: *do you have to see it to believe it*

 

If you can see it, it is not faith

Heb 11:1 /Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do NOT see/

Verse 6 says /WITHOUT faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him/

 

Notice what we are to be earnestly seeking … NOT sight, not physical life, not mobility, not wealth, we are to be earnestly seeking HIM

 

Do you have to see it to believe it

Do you have to see it to believe in Him?

If you want to see the greater things, I believe we have to let go of the necessity to see

 

That’s the question

 

Now the challenge …

 

*2.

Take Jesus At His Word*

 

Sometimes obedience is more frightening or confusing than not hearing.

Can you imagine the fear in leaving Egypt for the desert.

Can you imagine what it was like to walk across the bottom of the Red Sea with the water stood up on either side.

That was the same water that later destroyed the Egyptian army.