Alliance Berean
Church
DEEPENING YOUR FAITH- PART 2
By Pastor Dave Wilson
Apr 13, 2008, 22:35
DEEPENING YOUR FAITH
John 4:43-54 Part #2 4/13/08
What is God’s greatest goal for your life?
To grow you & me in our faith.
V43 After the two days he left for Galilee. v44 (Now Jesus himself had pointed out that a prophet has no honor in his own country.) V45 When he arrived in Galilee, the Galileans welcomed him. They had seen all that he had done in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, for they also had been there.
V46 Once more he visited Cana in Galilee, where he had turned the water into wine. And there was a certain royal official whose son lay sick at Capernaum. V47 When this man heard that Jesus had arrived in Galilee from Judea, he went to him and begged him to come and heal his son, who was close to death.
Who is he?
An official from King Herod’s court.
Where was he from?
Capernaum, 20 miles away.
Why was he there?
His boy was sick.
V48 "Unless you people see miraculous signs and wonders," Jesus told him, "you will never believe."
V49 The royal official said, "Sir, come down before my child dies."
V50 Jesus replied, "You may go. Your son will live."
The man took Jesus at his word and departed. V51 While he was still on the way, his servants met him with the news that his boy was living. V52 When he inquired as to the time when his son got better, they said to him, "The fever left him yesterday at the seventh hour."
V53 Then the father realized that this was the exact time at which Jesus had said to him, "Your son will live." So he and all his household believed.
V54 This was the second miraculous sign that Jesus performed, having come from Judea to Galilee.
7 distinct levels of faith in these verses…
1) The crowd has a Signs & Wonders faith!
The sad thing about this crowd is most never get beyond this lowest rung on the ladder kind of faith.
2) The royal official starts with a Crisis Faith!
-This is a desperate, emergency room kind of faith.
He moves from a crisis faith to a …
3) Needs based Faith!
V50 “Jesus replied, ‘You may go. Your son will live.’ The man took Jesus at His word and he departed.”
He moves from a Needs based faith to an….
4) Acting Faith!
-How?
-It’s when you decide to obey.
V51 “While he was still on his way his servants met him with the news that the boy was living. When he inquired as to what time his son had gotten better they said to him, ‘The fever left him yesterday at the seventh hour.’”
The next stage…
5) A Knowing Faith!
He knew. He had a confidence that God had worked in a marvelous way.
A brief theology of healing.
-Did Jesus heal everyone that needed healing while He was here on this earth?
-Did Jesus heal everyone who asked to be healed?
-Does Jesus heal everyone who asks today?
Apostle Paul: 2 Cor. 12 “I begged the Lord three times to take this problem away from me. But He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you. When you are weak My power is made perfect in you.’ So I’m very happy to brag about my weaknesses that Christ’s power can live in me.”
6) A Personal, Believing Faith.
Trusting.
He moves from a believing faith immediately to…
7) A sharing faith; professing faith.
-He led his entire household to belief.
Hebrews 12 “Jesus Christ is the author and the finisher of our faith.”
-We can take Jesus Christ at His word. That’s what it means to be a believer.
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