Miracles pointing to God?. Jesse Bennett
John 4:46-50
Jesus did not come to perform miracles/// Jesus came to save souls
What we need to do is move beyond miracles ///and on to JESUS
I believe in miracles but /// I don’t trust in miracles /// I trust in JESUS
Jesus turned water into wine in John Chapter 2.
That tells us that Jesus is Gods answer to mans disappointment.
The wine of this world will run out but///
The JOY that Jesus offers will always be FRESH FULL AND FREE.
Now the nobleman was asking JESUS to heal his son
But he had a hard time believing in JESUS (so what does this tell us?)
Not only is JESUS God’s answer to man’s disappointment
JESUS is God’s answer to man’s doubt.
Do you have doubt? What we need is a strong faith!!!
Doubt sees the night /// faith sees the light!!!
Doubt sees the obstacles /// faith sees the way…
Doubt fears to take a step /// faith sours on High.
Doubt questions, who believes? /// faith answers I!!!!
Now I know you want faith and that you need faith but you need a faith that posses you!!!
(Read the passage John 4:46-53)
Here was a man who had a problem he was a nobleman had prestige but he had a problem he couldn’t fix “his sick son”
Jesus scolds the man “unless you see miraculous sign and wonders you will never believe”
This man is in desperation he begs: Jesus says your son lives.
I OBSTACLES TO STRONG FAITH….. SECOND HAND FAITH
1. Second had faith he heard that Jesus had come
a. he heard others talk about what Jesus had done.
(Everyone needs to hear about Jesus) ALL HE HAD WAS hearsay.
a. You can’t go to heaven on your mother’s faith
b. You can’t go to heaven on your father’s faith
c. You can’t go to heaven on your pastor’s faith
d. Second hand faith doesn’t do you any good
e. Second hand faith can’t save you
SECOND HAD FAITH IS NOT STRONG FAITH.
Jesus asked his disciples “who do people say I am?” then He asked them (the more important question) “who do you say I am’
DO YOU KNOW ABOUT JESUS? OR DO YOU KNOW JESUS?
IS YOUR FAITH SECOND HAD FAITH? OR IS YOUR FAITH FIRST HAND FAITH?
II OBSTACLE -- … SIGN DEMANDING FAITH
Jesus said unless you see signs and wonders you will not believe.
Jesus was not approving the man when he said this
Jesus was rebuking the man when he said this!!!
a. Jesus said in another place “an evil and adulteress generation looks for a sign”
b. Even when Jesus was on the cross the people said “come down from the cross and we’ll believe”
Here were these people saying give us a sign and we’ll believe…
Are you in that category?
Are you saying to God if you’ll just give me a sign I’ll believe in you?
Are you saying if God will perform miracles for me I’ll believe?
Seeing is believing-- NO IT’S NOT- SEEING IS SEEING -AND -BELIEVING IS BELIEVING
1) Miracles are not VERY good tools for evangelism.
2) Jesus turned water into wine.
3) Many believed in his name because of the miracles he did.
4) They believed in Jesus but He did not believe in them.
Look at verse John 2:24
He knew men and what was in there hearts.
He knew they were following him because of his miracles… they were following the signs
What is wrong with asking for signs and wonders?
What is wrong for demanding signs and wonders>> it dishonors God..
(illustration)
What if you told your son “ I put 100 dollars in the bank for you and he said are you sure I want to see the deposit slip” YOU SAY SON YOU’VE GOT TO BELIEVE ME he says well maybe I can just withdraw it look at it and put it back. Dad can you give me some proof
How would you feel?
Dishonoring God>>>
I need some proof that God keeps his word/// Thomas asked to see the sign of the nail marks and wound in his side. “Jesus said blessed are those who have not seen and believe”
Seeking signs a wonders dishonors God /// And can be dangerous to man
II Thessalonians 2:9 (Description of the antichrist. A super deceiver.. A man of sin…)
9 Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,
Antichrist will be a master magician
Antichrist will have power to do miracles
By those sign and miracles many will be DAMMED TO HELL because of these lies…
Revelation 13:13-14 Talking about the Antichrist>>>13 And Deut. 13:1;Mat. 24:24;2 Thess. 2:9;ch. 16:14he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men, 14. And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live.
Illustration: Suppose you go out into the field and disregard what God’s word says and you say to God “ Oh God I want to know weather or not I’m going to heaven, I want to know that you are real and just show me a sign let me see a great wonder, show me”. All the a sudden the sky lights up from pole to pole, and you say oh God thank you for speaking to me, thank you”.
Then you die and stand at the judgment seat and THE LORD says “depart from me worker of iniquity” and you say “ but why oh God why” and the Devil points his finger and says “ You fool it was I, I deceived you, I caused fire to come down from Heaven.”
III Obstacle---self centered faith….
Verse 47___What was his concern his child nothing wrong with that … but he failed to bow at the feet of Jesus Christ and worship him failed to glorify God.
1.We are often worried about our families our finances our health our our our… Me Me Me
2. But never are we worried about worshiping God or give Him much thought during the week!!!
3. He was worried about the physical not the spiritual.
4. He was worried about the temporal not the eternal.
How much are you center on yourself instead of God?
IV STRONG WILLED FAITH..
Look at verse 49___Lord Come down before my child dies
He’s telling God what to Do…
He is instructing the Lord…
that is weak faith
He says come /// JESUS SAYS GO… .
Strong faith
1. Waits upon God
2. Listens for God.
3. Get a message from God
Faith is not so much receiving what you want from God ///but accepting the things that God gives you!!!(repeat)
You can’t claim it tell He names it>>>faith is not dictating to GOD-
faith is hearing GOD----Believing GOD ---and Acting on what GOD says.
This man is a nobleman, he is used to telling people what to do, and he has servants ..
he is telling Jesus, you come >>>Jesus tells him no you go..
He has a faith not a good faith: Second hand faith-Sign demanding-Self centered faith-strong willed faith---I guess it’s better than no faith at all..
This man moves past the miracles and on to JESUS
He heard the word and then believed He’s alright go home…
Faith commeth by hearing and hearing by the word of God..Rom 10:17
That why we preach the word of God. How will they hear without the word.
You say I just have trouble believing… I cant do anything about it ----Oh yes you can…
You just have a moral problem./// a wicked and rebellious heart…
You just don’t want to believe because you like your sin and being separated from God and
if you die tonight you would be separated forever.
You have ears…you must believe….you must obey…you must follow Jesus…
If the man had not believed he would have still been there pleading with Jesus..
But he acted on his faith…faith without works is dead…
Are you saying JESSE am I saved by faith and works
NO you are saved by a faith that works>>>
You must hear.. you must obey…you must act…
YOU MUST REST IN THE WORD OF GOD…
JUST TAKE HIS WORD AND REST ON IT…
GOD SPEAKS THROUGH HIS WORD..
Now this man make a metamorphous: Look in Verse 53
This man is not believing in a physical healing
This man is not believing in miracles
This man is believing in JESUS for his salvation
He went home an told his whole family that he had met the Messiah.
He opened the scriptures and told his family we must believe on Jesus for our salvation…
He moved past the miracles and on to JESUS…
Will you move on to Jesus today…
You need a saving faith a strong faith…
You must believe and Jesus will save you…
