A Challenging Story about the Journey of Faith

—Part 8: John 4:43–54 The Royal Official’s Son

  • Andrew Fountain – Nov 10, 2019

 
 
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Goal:

  • To allow Jesus to challenge our concepts of faith

Overview

  1. Very brief recap of the story so far
  2. The beautiful poem that closes out this first part of John
  3. The puzzle of faith—why is Jesus so confusing?
  4. Where is your faith?

Four People all get challenging answers to their need

Mary What do your concerns have to do with me?
Nicodemus You must be born from above!
Samaritan Woman Drink my water and you’ll never thirst again
Royal Official You people won’t believe without a sign
  • A connection between believing and a conflict or disruption in every case.

Parallel’s with Water into Wine

  • 3rd day / After 2 days
  • Desperate need
  • Jesus appears to brush it off
  • The person acts in faith nevertheless
  • A miracle then occurs (with servants seeing it first)
  • Many believe as a result

Overview

  1. Very brief recap of the story so far
  2. The beautiful poem that closes out this first part of John
  3. The puzzle of faith—why is Jesus so confusing?
  4. Where is your faith?

John 6

  1. Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves.

John 10 & 20 Growing in Faith

  1. If I am not doing the works of my Father, then do not believe me;
  2. but if I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father.”
  • John 20
  1. Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book;
  2. but 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.

Journey of Faith

  1. Maybe there are some advantages in this Jesus stuff?
  2. I need something —I am desperate enough to try Jesus
  3. He really is someone special
  4. He must be God
  5. I am going to trust him with everything

John 11: Martha: the Pinnacle of Faith

  1. Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live,
  2. and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?”
  3. She said to him, “Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.”
  4. When she had said this, she went and called her sister Mary

Where are you on the Journey of Faith?

  1. Maybe there are some advantages in this Jesus stuff?
  2. I need something —I am desperate enough to try Jesus
  3. He really is someone special
  4. He must be God
  5. I am going to trust him with everything

Going further on the Journey

  1. I am going to trust him with everything
  2. His word is my food and drink
  3. I put him first in my life in every way
  • 50. Jesus said to him, “Go your way your son lives!.”
      So the man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him
    and he went on his way.