This Changes Everything [PART 13] | Mike de Vetter | Sunday 5th July

[00:00:03] Hey, we're going to carry on with our study in the Book of John. Please open up to John chapter four if you've got a Bible. Otherwise you can follow along on the screen behind me. [00:00:13] We're going to read from verses 43 to 54. [00:00:18] After the two days he left for Galilee. Now, Jesus himself had pointed out that a prophet has no honor in his own country. [00:00:26] When he arrived in Galilee, the Galileans welcomed him. They had seen all that he had done in Jerusalem at the Passover festival, for they had also been there once more. He visited Cana in Galilee, where he had turned the water into wine. [00:00:39] And there was a certain royal official whose son lay sick at Capernaum. 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. [00:00:51] Unless you people see signs and wonders, Jesus told him, you will never believe. The royal official said, sir, come down before my child dies. Go. Jesus replied, your son will live. [00:01:04] The man took Jesus at his word and departed. While he was still on the way, his servants met him with the news that his boy was living. When he inquired as to the time when his son got better, they said to him, yesterday at one in the afternoon, the fever left him. [00:01:20] Then the Father realized that this was the exact time at which Jesus had said to him, your son will live. [00:01:27] So he and his whole household believed this was the second sign Jesus performed after coming from Judea to Galilee. [00:01:37] As we continue this series through the Book of John, we see something consistent in John's writing. [00:01:43] That there are little details that would seem to be insignificant. But every story, every encounter, every little detail has a part to play and brings us an understanding about what Jesus is doing. [00:01:58] As we arrive in John, chapter four, Jesus is returning to Galilee after two remarkable encounters. [00:02:06] He's just spent two days among the Samaritan people with the woman at the well. [00:02:11] Many people believed it said in verse 41 because they heard his words. [00:02:17] And now he returns to his people in Galilee who welcome him. [00:02:23] But John hints that maybe everything isn't quite as it seems in their response. [00:02:30] Verse 45 tells us that they welcomed him because they had seen what he had done in Jerusalem. Then in verse 46, John reminds us that Jesus again has come to Cana, where he did his first miracle, turning water into into wine. [00:02:46] But that's not John's main emphasis in this passage. It serves as a reminder that Jesus is continuing to work in and through the stories and the encounters with him through this passage, John. [00:02:59] And right throughout the Gospel of John, he is shifting from the miracles to the knowing who Christ is. [00:03:05] And the question I want to ask each of us today, are we following Jesus because he is the miracle man or because he is our Messiah? [00:03:14] It's important that we understand the difference and we see that within the story. [00:03:20] So let's set the scene, because in John 4:43, 46, John tells us that after leaving Samaria, he comes into Galilee. [00:03:30] Now, at first, everything would seem straightforward, but then, you see, there's a little bit of a tension in this text, it seems. For Jesus himself had testified that a prophet has no honor in his own hometown. [00:03:44] Now, if a prophet receives no honor in his own hometown, why would he return? [00:03:50] Why would you come back if there was no honor shown? And I think the answer lies in what we understand the word honor to mean. [00:03:59] In John 4:44, the word honor, honor comes from the Greek word time, which, when we understand the concept that honor is something that is attributed to somebody as value, as purpose, as worth, but it's not just knowing it. It's actually treating somebody with that, somebody who we honor. We behave differently around them, don't we? We show incredible honor. I think if a politician came in our midst, if the king came into our midst, we would show incredible honor in the way we speak, in the way we behave and our actions. What Jesus was saying, or John was recording here is that Jesus was welcomed because of the miracles. But was he welcomed as the Messiah? [00:04:49] John deliberately contrasts this welcome of the Galileans with the Samaritans who believe Jesus simply because of His Word. [00:04:59] And the challenge is clear for each of us. [00:05:02] Do we welcome Jesus because of the miracles he can perform? [00:05:06] Or do we welcome him because he is our Messiah? [00:05:10] By the end of Jesus, stay with the Samaritans. This is what we read in verse 42. We no longer believe just because of what you said. Now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world. [00:05:26] Why do we follow Jesus? Or let me frame it another way. Many welcomed him because he could do something for them. [00:05:34] But few honored him for who he truly was. [00:05:38] We can make that same mistake today. [00:05:40] We can find ourselves welcoming Jesus when he answers our prayers, when all of a sudden that thing that was broken is now fixed. [00:05:50] When God breaks through in a miraculous way, we say, jesus, we are so thankful. We welcome you so much. We welcome Jesus when we need help. [00:05:59] Jesus, come and help me in my dire situation. [00:06:02] But honor asks a deeper question. [00:06:06] Will I recognize Jesus as Lord even when he doesn't respond the way I expect. [00:06:14] Has anyone ever put an expectation on Jesus saying, I'd like you to answer this miracle, and this is how I'd like you to bring this miracle to pass. I'd like it now, if that's okay. [00:06:25] Jesus says, I've got another timing that I'm going to show to you, but you won't know it until it's happened. [00:06:30] I don't like those ones as much as the ones where it's instant. Right. I've prayed for people and they've instantly been healed. I'm going, what did I do? I didn't do a thing. I acted in faith and I prayed and I believed. And then I've prayed for other people, and they haven't been healed at all. [00:06:48] So am I serving God because of the miracles that he does, or am I serving him because his word is good enough to be trusted? [00:06:58] As we walk through this journey this morning, I think we'll find ourselves in different parts of this journey that this official walks through. And my first thought this morning is that Jesus doesn't mind us coming with needs. [00:07:13] He doesn't mind when we come with problems and concerns. In fact, he's okay with that. [00:07:22] In this story we read of a court official, an official who we believe was probably under Herod Antipas. He had power, he had authority. But with all of his power, all of his authority, probably with financial means, he was not able to bring healing to his son. [00:07:40] It was out of his control. [00:07:42] And his son was dying. And he knew he needed a miracle. [00:07:47] So he comes to Jesus. [00:07:49] And throughout Jesus ministry, we see people coming to him. [00:07:54] The woman at the well comes to Jesus and says, I need a living water that will satisfy me. [00:08:01] We see Nicodemus comes to Jesus at night when with lots of questions, trying to understand, how can a man be born again? [00:08:09] We see in the gospel that the people came and they needed bread. They wanted to be fed. We're hungry. [00:08:16] Show us your power through a miracle. [00:08:19] So this official comes to Jesus saying, my son is dying. I have a real need. [00:08:25] Can I ask Anybody got a real need in their life that they'd like Jesus to intervene in? Yes, it's okay. Don't feel guilty about having that need in your life. This is a part of the journey. It's not the end of the journey. It's a part of the journey that we're on. [00:08:41] Because often our need ends up being the pathway to Christ. [00:08:45] It's often the place where we Find ourselves walking towards what we really need. And that's a deeper relationship with Jesus, that no matter what's going on, whether he heals me or not, he is my Savior and the Savior of the world. [00:09:00] Can I ask how many found Christ when our life was at our worst? Come on, give me a wave. At the worst moment in your life, that's when you prayed that prayer. [00:09:10] This is the reality we serve a God who leaves the 99 safe in the sheepfold and goes and finds the one that is lost. [00:09:20] This is the Father who stands at the door and he looks over the road, waiting for that prodigal son to return. [00:09:28] And when the prodigal son is in the distance, he runs to him and they embrace. [00:09:33] And he doesn't give him a lecture. Here's all the reasons why you failed as my son. [00:09:39] Come on. When we encountered Jesus, we didn't get a lecture. [00:09:43] I don't think any of us got a lecture. When we encountered Jesus, I think most of us felt the warm embrace of a heavenly father that loves us. [00:09:54] It's okay that we come to Jesus with our need. It's a part of the journey. [00:09:59] Many of us, we pray sincerely first when life was really tough. [00:10:06] And often we can say to God, my life is a mess. I'm dirty, I'm unclean, I'm thirsty, I'm hungry. [00:10:13] Jesus doesn't say, well, clean yourself up first before I receive you. He says, I am the living water. [00:10:19] Not only will I satisfy you, I will cleanse you, I will make you brand new. [00:10:24] And if you're here today saying, I'm in a place of desperation, you are in the right place. And it's okay that you're coming to Jesus with your life, not altogether, because you'll be welcome in a place of people who don't have their lives altogether. [00:10:38] But God is working a miracle of faith in each of us. [00:10:43] So Jesus doesn't mind us coming with our needs. He also, Jesus, invites us beyond a shallow faith. [00:10:51] What do I mean by that Jesus response in this passage could seem a little bit harsh. [00:10:57] Unless you see signs and wonders, you'll never believe. [00:11:01] Notice the grammar. It's plural. [00:11:03] He's not speaking to the official as such. [00:11:06] He's speaking into the atmosphere that is within that space. [00:11:11] The people saying, Jesus performed a miracle. Yeah, that's amazing. [00:11:16] Until he performs another one, I won't believe. [00:11:19] He's exposing maybe a belief system that needed to be changed and challenged. [00:11:26] Galilee had become fascinated with miracles. [00:11:30] Jesus wasn't honored there, but they welcomed him why? Because he did miracles. [00:11:38] If my faith is based on whether Jesus performs a miracle or not, then I would say that's a shallow faith. I want a deep faith that in the middle of pain, in the middle of difficult times, it doesn't change how I see my Savior and the Messiah. [00:11:56] John specifically mentioned, this is where Jesus turned the water into wine. [00:12:01] People were willing to believe as long as he was willing to perform. [00:12:05] Does that sound familiar in Scripture? [00:12:07] The Israelite people, they come out of Egypt, God miraculously brings them out through all the plagues, signs and wonders. They get to the Red Sea, they're saying, we're doomed, we're going to die. God parts the water, they walk through. The Egyptian army is destroyed. As the water comes back over them. They get out into the wilderness and they need food. So God provides manna and. And quail. The thirsty, they complain about being thirsty. So he provides water from a rock. [00:12:37] Jesus provides miracle after miracle after miracle. And the response of the Israelites, which can be my response too, is, yeah, but I've got another need. [00:12:49] I've got another need. [00:12:51] I'd rather be where I was before than I am now. [00:12:56] That's a shallow faith, right? [00:12:58] Or do we find ourselves in that difficult time when we say, I know that my redeemer lives. I know that Job's sitting in the middle of the most difficult time you could ever imagine. If you think you've got problems, have a look at Job and what he went through. And he says, and I know that my redeemer lives? Can you say that today, that you know that your redeemer lives? That whether or not Jesus answers the miracle as you want it to, that I know that my redeemer lives? [00:13:31] See, miracles alone don't produce lasting faith. [00:13:36] I've seen miracles in my life. [00:13:38] How many people have had a miracle that could only be attested to God? Come on, give us a big wave. If you have seen God do something miraculous that you just cannot explain, look at that. So many of us encounter God through a miracle, but that alone is not enough. [00:13:55] Signs and wonders can get our attention, but they don't change our heart. [00:13:59] The only thing that changes our heart is the word of God and a belief in God. [00:14:06] And John's gospel consistently teaches that the miracles are not the end. [00:14:11] They reveal something about Jesus. This whole series, the premise has been around. This changes everything. [00:14:19] I have an encounter with Jesus. It changes everything. [00:14:23] It changes how I see myself, my identity, it changes my purpose. [00:14:29] When I find myself in my workplace saying, I'm here working 9 to 5 to earn some money so I can keep my family alive. [00:14:37] No. [00:14:38] When we have an encounter with Jesus, we get to then reveal the glory of God everywhere we go. It doesn't matter where we are, whether we're sitting on the couch at home or whether we're walking in conversation with someone, whether we are leading a multinational company. It doesn't matter what we're doing. We can be revealing the glory of God everywhere we go because we have encountered Jesus. [00:15:04] The third thought this morning is that faith begins by trusting the word of Jesus. It's okay to come to Jesus with our needs. [00:15:14] We want to move beyond a shallow faith to see that faith begins by trusting the word of Jesus. The official response, he says, sir, come before my child dies. A genuine need. [00:15:28] And he believes that Jesus can heal him. [00:15:31] He assumes that Jesus must be physically present for that healing to take place. Not just the words. He asks, please come with me, Come with me so that you can be there, lay hands on him, touch him, and he will be healed. [00:15:48] Like many of us, we can place limitations on Jesus because of what we think it should look like. In his mind. He thought, if Jesus, you can come, you will be able to heal him. There was a belief, but maybe there was a context that he thought it could only work in that way. [00:16:08] Jesus simply replies, go, your son will live. [00:16:14] That's a big statement. [00:16:16] I'd prefer if you come, Jesus. [00:16:20] I prefer if I could actually get a little bit of confirmation that this is going to happen. [00:16:28] Go. Your son will live. [00:16:32] Anyone ever had God say to you, step out and it will happen, but I don't know the outcome. [00:16:42] Step. [00:16:44] But will I be safe? [00:16:46] Step. [00:16:49] Go. Your son will live, says the Messiah. [00:16:53] Is that enough? [00:16:55] Is that enough for us? [00:16:57] Go. [00:16:59] Step. [00:17:00] Stay. [00:17:01] Wait. [00:17:03] Press. [00:17:04] Is a word from Jesus enough for us? [00:17:09] It can be, and it should be. [00:17:12] No dramatic action from Jesus, no journey along the way with him, no public spectacle, just a promise. [00:17:19] And then John records, I think, one of the most beautiful sentences in the Gospels. The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and went on his way. [00:17:29] Now, we need to understand a little bit of context to this, because this man didn't see Jesus and then walked two blocks to his home. [00:17:40] You got to understand, he's come from Capernaum, which scholars would say anywhere between 20 to 25 miles. Now, I don't know how fast you walk, but If I'm walking 20 to 25 miles. And look, he was an official, so he might have had a donkey, so he might have been on a Donkey. [00:17:56] But it was still an uphill climb from Capernaum. [00:18:00] I checked with Google and apparently the average pace, 20 to 25 miles, would take you between seven to nine hours walking. [00:18:09] That's a decent walk. [00:18:10] So this man has walked seven to nine hours or been on a donkey. However he got there, he didn't just go one block, he's gone on a big journey. He's got to Jesus and says, jesus, if you come and pray for my son, he'll be healed. Jesus says, go, your son will live. [00:18:32] The man believed the word, but Jesus spoke to him and went on his way. [00:18:38] Have you ever been given that word from God? That just doesn't seem like it's got enough detail. [00:18:44] Go anyway, step out, believe. [00:18:48] Because the faith journey is by trusting in the word of Jesus. [00:18:55] This is a turning point because at this point, the miracle, he doesn't know whether it's happened. Now, we read in text, the miracle's already happened. The moment Jesus said, go, your son has been healed, it happened. [00:19:08] We read that in the text and we'll pick that up in a moment. [00:19:11] But he doesn't know this yet. [00:19:14] He's now walking in faith, turning around after a seven to nine hour journey. [00:19:22] I'm going to go home now. [00:19:24] Now, in today's day and age, he would have got a text a couple of minutes later going, you will never believe your son who was dying is he's now alive. [00:19:32] And he would have been able to celebrate and probably even pop back to Jesus and go, you know what? He, he's healed. [00:19:38] But the Bible says he was met by the servant, which means that the miracle would have taken place and the servant would have started heading towards. [00:19:47] Now, if I do my math correctly, somewhere probably in the middle three and a half to four and a half hours, they would have met, depending on who was running the fastest. [00:19:57] And only then was it revealed that the Son was okay. [00:20:02] He trusts the one who has spoken. See, biblical faith is not wishful thinking. [00:20:08] It's the confidence and the reliability of God's word. [00:20:12] And this echoes the wider testimony of scripture, doesn't it? [00:20:16] In the beginning, God created the heavens of the earth. God spoke, let there be light. And at 176,000 miles per second, light comes out of God's mouth and continues to go on, creating galaxies that we will never in our lifetime be able to discover as humans. [00:20:36] God, the Creator. God speaks and life comes. [00:20:40] God spoke and Israel was delivered. [00:20:43] Not immediately, not when they wanted, but at the very right time. God delivered the Israelite people. God spoke through the prophets, the prophets that we ignored. [00:20:53] We didn't want to hear, we didn't want to listen. We wanted an instant. But God says, I have a plan and a purpose. Would you trust my word? [00:21:01] And now into John's gospel, the eternal word speaks again. Go, your son will live. [00:21:09] The authority lies not in the miracle, but the one who speaks. [00:21:15] What I found fascinating as I read the story, I thought, is this the same story as the Roman centurion? [00:21:21] But it's not. It's. It's a completely different story. And the way Jesus handles it is different. [00:21:28] That would be right, being Jesus, right? He doesn't do the same thing the same way. [00:21:33] He heals blind eyes differently, just to keep us guessing. Maybe, or maybe because we need to trust him and he doesn't want to give us a context that we say, well, you always do it that way, because he does not always do it the same way. [00:21:48] Matthew 8, 5, 10. When Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him asking for help. Lord, he said, my servant lies at home paralyzed, suffering terribly. [00:21:58] Now listen to Jesus question very different to this other man. [00:22:02] Jesus said to him, shall I come and heal him? [00:22:05] He didn't offer that to the official, did he? [00:22:09] He didn't say, can I come? [00:22:11] And I don't think it's because Jesus didn't want to walk seven to nine hours. [00:22:16] I think it's a different story. [00:22:17] I think it's a different faith journey that this man needs to go on like the other man. And so he asked the question, shall I come and heal him? [00:22:26] That would have been a good question to ask the Roman official. [00:22:30] But to the Roman official, he says, go, your son will be healed. [00:22:34] The centurion replied, lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof, but just say the word and my servant will be healed. For I myself am one, under authority with soldiers under me. I tell this one, go, and he goes, and that one come, and he comes. I say to my servant, do this, and he does it. Verse 10. It says, When Jesus heard this, he was amazed and said to those following him, truly, I tell you, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith. [00:23:03] Faith begins by trusting the word of Jesus. [00:23:08] The story will look different. [00:23:11] I think even in church life we can look at somebody's story, somebody's testimony, the miracle that they got. I know when we were longing to have a family, we prayed for people that couldn't have kids and they had a child years before we could. [00:23:26] I got pretty upset with God A few times. [00:23:28] So I pray bitter prayers, and they give their miracle. [00:23:34] It's not about me. [00:23:36] It's not about my miracle. [00:23:39] It's about the Messiah and it's timing. And he knows what we need when we need it. And he knows sometimes when we have to go on a journey of faith that might be a little bit painful, and he allows us to walk through that because he is producing something in us, that perseverance, the last thought. And I close with this. [00:24:01] Our faith is strengthened through our experience. [00:24:08] You know, it can sometimes start with us coming to Jesus with a need. [00:24:11] Jesus, I need, I need, I need, I want, I want, I want. And we can sound like a little toddler coming to mum and dad. Gimme, gimme, gimme, gimme. Right? We come out of the womb and that's all we do. It's like, give me, give me, feed me, feed me cleanly. Clean me, clean me, Love me, love me. [00:24:25] And we can behave like that a little bit with God, too. Give me, give me, I need, I need, I need, I need. [00:24:31] Sometimes our journey to God begins with that. I have a need in my life. [00:24:37] But true faith is revealed, and the glory of God is revealed in us. When through experience and through seeing God move in power and trusting in His Word, we can then give a testimony and a belief in God. See, on the journey home, the servants met him. [00:24:55] Your son is alive. [00:24:57] Your son is. And John carefully records, as we said earlier, that the details in which John records things, that the healing took place precisely the hour that Jesus spoke. [00:25:10] So they went back and said it was exactly at this moment that he was healed. [00:25:15] This detail is important because the Father realizes that Jesus Word is effective immediately. [00:25:22] Friends, when Jesus says it is done, it is done. Done. [00:25:27] Sometimes he delays, but when he says it's done, he does not tarry. He will always come through with the promise of His Word. There was no delay. There was no gradual recovery. In this instance, there was a healing that took place right there. And then the healing occurred because Jesus, the Messiah, willed it. [00:25:45] And then John records something I think even more significant than the healing itself. It says, he who himself believed and all his household. [00:25:56] I think God takes us on a journey, a journey, sometimes painful, sometimes long. [00:26:03] Because as we go through that journey, our faith is growing and we get closer to Jesus. We trust His Word more than ever before. [00:26:10] Why? Not just so that we would believe, but those around us would believe that our workmates would believe. [00:26:17] When our workmates see us going through something, they see the pain that we're going through they see the faith that we carry in the middle of that pain when they wonder how you still got your head up and above water and you give a testimony. [00:26:32] God spoke and he's faithful to his word. [00:26:36] Friends, our miracle and our experience is a strengthening of our faith. [00:26:42] And John's purpose is stated clearly later on in the Gospel of John. [00:26:46] And we'll get to that sometime in the next two or three years as we finish the series. [00:26:51] These are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. [00:27:04] At the very start, Mark preached from John 1. [00:27:07] Yet to all who received him, to all who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God. [00:27:15] Friends, are we chasing the miracle man, or do we believe the words of our Messiah? [00:27:24] Do we trust like this man? [00:27:27] And the man believed and his household also. [00:27:32] Three questions as I close. [00:27:35] Why have you come to Jesus? [00:27:37] What has brought you to Him? [00:27:40] Maybe for some it's. You're at this point of crisis and you've tried everything the world could offer, and this is like your last chance. Welcome. [00:27:50] It's okay. You're so welcome to be here. [00:27:53] Jesus receives you. He wants to know. He knows you and he wants to share in the pain and the suffering with you. [00:28:00] Trust him with your story. [00:28:02] Trust him with your pain, Trust him with your disappointment and listen to him speak. [00:28:08] Second question. Can you trust God's Word before you see his outcome? [00:28:14] Are you waiting for a breakthrough? Are you waiting for a miracle? Are you praying? Have you done everything you physically can do in order to see the miracle? [00:28:23] Don't quit. [00:28:24] Don't give up. [00:28:26] Press in, believe, have faith. Trust the word that God has given, even though it's hard to actually walk it out. [00:28:36] Sometimes we have to obey before our circumstances change. Sometimes we have to forgive someone before our feelings towards them change. [00:28:45] Sometimes we have to persevere before the answers come. [00:28:49] If faith walks on the strength of the God's promise. [00:28:53] And the last question is, is your faith growing deeper? [00:28:58] Are we moving beyond the shallows into a greater depth of knowledge and understanding who God is? [00:29:06] Here's what I know to be true. We'll never be able to put our feet on the bottom of who God is and know who he is. [00:29:14] You know, Peter was invited to take a step out into a very unsafe place. [00:29:20] And he said, yes. [00:29:22] He said, you call me, I'll come. Jesus says, come at your word. Come. [00:29:29] I wonder if we could just bow our heads for a moment. [00:29:32] I don't know what you're facing. I don't know what's going on in your world right now. [00:29:37] But what I do know is that we serve a God who when he speaks, that is enough. [00:29:46] Why don't you just present that need to God? Maybe an extending of your hands. Just saying God, here's my problem, here's my challenge. Here's the thing I don't have an answer for. [00:29:58] This is my need. I'm bringing it to you God. [00:30:09] Father, I pray that in presenting this need to you. [00:30:17] Lord, we're not coming to you just because we want you to do a miracle and change our circumstance. [00:30:23] I pray even if our motives have been wrong, that you would shift something in us today to say that there's need. [00:30:31] Lord, would that bring us closer to an understanding of who you are. [00:30:35] Thank you Jesus that when you speak your word is good and faithful and true. [00:30:42] Father, I pray we would return to the promises. Lord, those that have received a promise that haven't yet seen it fulfilled, God, remind us of that promise right now. [00:30:52] For those that have just come with this need but don't have that promise, Lord, would you speak to us right now? That promise of healing, that promise of restoration, that promise of breakthrough. May we hear your voice speaking to us that we would trust you as long as it takes. But Lord, I also recognize that you are going to do something immediate and instant in people's lives today. [00:31:13] And Lord, would you work their miracle according to your will and your purpose? A breakthrough of healing, a transformation of relationship. [00:31:24] Fear gone and replaced with a sense of faith in who you are and the confidence of your Word. [00:31:31] We thank you Jesus that you work miracles. [00:31:34] But Lord, your desire is that we would walk and trust you according to your word. [00:31:41] We thank you for this. In Jesus name, amen.