Stepping Out In Faith Series

Series: Light And Life [#11]

STEPPING OUT IN FAITH

John 4:43-54

Introduction:

Anytime we are going to do something that we are not sure about, we say that we are stepping out in faith. What does that really mean?

John 4:43-45 (NIV)

43 After the two days he left for Galilee. 44 (Now Jesus himself had pointed out that a prophet has no honor in his own country.) 45 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 also had been there.

Jesus spent 2 days in the Samaritan town and then He went to Galilee. He went back to Galilee and He was welcomed. Why was He welcomed? Because they had seen what He had already done. While Jesus was in Cana, a royal official came to Jesus to heal his son. I want you to notice this morning in our text, the 7 levels of faith. Each of us move up and down these levels as we go through life.

John 4:46-48 (NIV)

46 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. 47 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. 48 “Unless you people see signs and wonders,” Jesus told him, “you will never believe.”

Some people have a…

1. Signs and wonders faith.

The people were following Jesus around, so that they could see His next trick. When they heard the royal official asking Jesus to heal his son, they were ready for the show. They had an amusement park type of faith. They ride the ride and then ask, “What’s next”? Their faith is based on emotions.

There are still many people like this. They go from Church to Church looking for signs and wonders. If something exciting isn’t going on, they look elsewhere.

John 4:49 (NIV)

49 The royal official said, “Sir, come down before my child dies.”

Some people have a…

2. Crisis faith.

This man was desperate for his son to be healed. He had traveled 20 miles to find this man who had healed people. This is an emergency room type of faith. He found Jesus and said, “Whatever it takes, help me”. He believed that Jesus could work a miracle. If he didn’t believe that, he would not have traveled so far.

The only difference between a signs and wonders faith and a crisis faith is that in a crisis faith, you want Jesus to do the miracle for you. A signs and wonders faith is for spectators. A crisis faith is personal.

Some people have a…

3. Needing faith.

He needed Jesus to go with him so that his son would be healed. This is a beginning level of faith. The man believed that Jesus could heal his son before he believed in Jesus.

There are many here this morning who are saying, “Jesus I need you to do this. Jesus this is urgent; I need You to work right now. What is it that you need today? Jesus is listening.

John 4:50 (NIV)

50 “Go,” Jesus replied, “your son will live.” The man took Jesus at his word and departed.

Some people have an…

4. Acting faith.

Jesus tells the man to leave and that his son would live. It says that the man took Jesus at His word and left. This is a tough one. I would have wanted Jesus to go with me; but instead he was told to go. Up to this point, the royal official was telling Jesus what He needed to do; but all of a sudden everything changes. He was no longer telling Jesus what to do; instead, he was doing what Jesus told him to do. This man was faced with a choice- Do I trust in the promise of Jesus or not?

Each of us have to answer this question. Do I trust in the promises of Jesus or not? How do you move from a needing faith to an acting faith? Obedience.

John 4:51-52 (NIV)

51 While he was still on the way, his servants met him with the news that his boy was living. 52 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.”

Some people have a…

5. Knowing faith.

He was still traveling and one of his servants met him to tell him that his son was alive. He asked the servant when his son got better; and it was at the exact time that Jesus said his son would live. The man knew that Jesus had healed his son.