See It Or Believe It!

Evidence is important, when it comes to faith, people often wait to believe until God is proven - and they’ll keep waiting, never really wanting to believe

What Does it Take to Trust?

READ John 4:43-54 and discuss - The miracle of healing from a distance

SLIDE - Cana Cycle map

JESUS had been to

Cana - wedding

Capernaum in John 2...

Then the temple for Passover - miracles there

Judean countryside (John 3) - Nicodemus

Back to Galilee through Samaria

He had developed a reputation by now, based on what He’d done in Jerusalem (See John 4:45)

Many Galileans had seen Him there

This royal official (Herodian, Gentile, Roman?) - came from Capernaum to Cana to see Jesus (about a day’s journey, maybe 15 miles)

1) The Need for Proof

I’m a Noah’s Ark fan myself - love to find it, likely won’t happen

Shroud of Turin - hoax, at best

Stories of people who died and went to Hell or Heaven and came back

Fascinating - what’s the point? To prove that they are real things or places?

Jesus already told us they were - why need more?

Truth is, we already have first-hand accounts of things we’d like proven - like Heaven/Hell, for instance

Paul reports in 2 Corinthians 12:2

2 Corinthians 12:2 NASB95

I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago—whether in the body I do not know, or out of the body I do not know, God knows—such a man was caught up to the third heaven.

John saw and reported in Revelation 4:1

Revelation 4:1 NASB95

After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven, and the first voice which I had heard, like the sound of a trumpet speaking with me, said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after these things.”

Jesus talks in parable, referring to real places - Rich man and Lazarus

Science, archeology, etc. is great, confirming what we already know to be true

The official is faced with a choice

Demand that Jesus come with him, OR

Leave and go home, without assurance (at least a day’s walk)

If he demands Jesus comes along, he shows disbelief

If he leaves and goes home - he has to wrestle with doubt

Maybe he’s a skeptic - I’m kinda that way - show me

The official was desperate - begging for help after walking a day to see Jesus

Jesus knows:

The people are just wanting a sign

Challenges this man with that assertion (seems rude?)

Luke 4:24-29 sees Jesus chiding with Israel about all these “non-Jews” who believed, while those closest to God refused to

He knows this man’s heart, the man doesn’t even know that yet

CHALLENGE - Insist on evidence or exercise faith?

2) Jesus Desires Trust and Commitment

TRUTH - If you are saved, you understand trust

Did you see Jesus on the cross, after the resurrection, ascend to Heaven?

Then why do you believe? Or do you?

Repeatedly, Jesus scorns those looking for signs, just for the sake of seeing a sign (as if they will believe when they see)

The Pharisees never deny the miracles, but they are disingenuous, and do not believe in Messiah

“Wicked and perverse generation” - Matthew 16:4

Matthew 16:4 NASB95

“An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign; and a sign will not be given it, except the sign of Jonah.” And He left them and went away.

“Ye of little faith”

He places an amazing premium on trust, faith

Warning: Be careful when you challenge God, demanding proof

Perhaps this official saw Jesus at Cana before, heard about the wedding, maybe saw or heard of Him in Jerusalem

Saw, listened, considered...

Galileans at Passover saw Jesus, saw signs, and wanted more!

And Jesus did NOT satisfy their curiosity (not welcome in home town comment)

They made the signs about THEM, not HIM

So, here, this account - the word is out, Jesus is doing amazing things

Tempting to show up and expect a show

Maybe Jesus came back around to see if others had believed on Him since the wedding

(Realize this, the disciples see them all and still struggle to believe - only the Resurrection seals it, this is about HIM)

Even though He did it for us, it’s about HIM, God’s glory

Take a moment now and thank Him...

3) The Power of One Getting Saved

REM - the Samaritan woman

This man leads his household to faith, belief in Jesus

FACTS: When who gets saved first

Child - 3.5% of time, family gets saved

Wife - 17%

Husband - 93% (repeat that) - God-haters hate man-women marriage...

This man had sought out Jesus, looked for Him, to ask for help

(he had a physical matter to beg for; Jesus knows his real need is spiritual)

Jesus makes a good point to this man

“You just want a miracle, using your son as an excuse”

Jesus wants genuine commitment, not merely amazement

The official took Jesus at His Word

And he refuses to brush this outcome off as coincidence

Confirms the healing happened at the time Jesus said his son lives - 7th hour

God responded to this man’s faith by healing his son

ASIDE - there are not a great many miracles in the Bible that occur this way - Jesus is demonstrating His power to confirm who He is

But He knows that if miracles persist, they are all people will want and expect, and faith will not develop

IF you need a sign to believe, you will never be satisfied

Let’s Talk Miracles

At the outset - faith leading to salvation is a miracle, that God can take a spiritually dead soul and create spiritual life!

Miracles often confirm faith - salvation fits that model

But today - many false teachers abound

Kenneth Copeland, Benny Hinn for example

People claim miracles after events occur, and then make the context fit, so as to justify what they say and do - to them, the miracle is whatever they say it is, so they feel better about themselves

Your life, living now, being able to talk to people about Jesus, that is a miracle; you are a walking miracle, every day

Yeah, but....

God does not promise miracles, as we typically define them

Why does God heal this person, and not that person…?

What about when God doesn’t give you the miracle you prayed for?

It’s about glorifying God

Lazarus’ death/resurrection was about Jesus’ glory, not a life restored (see John 11)

Bartimaeus got his sight, not so that he could see, but so that praise would be given to God (see Luke 18)

Miracle or not, flesh healed or not, we are to glorify God

Bible is full of faithful people never healed - Paul is a great example (why could he not heal himself?), or Trophimus or Epaphroditus...

Never judge faith by accompanying miracles!

We cannot use ultimatums to define God - His character is not defined by whether or not you get a miracle - God is God

(REM, three men in furnace, God is God, no matter what) - they lived - See Daniel 3

Polycarp - “I cannot deny Christ” - he died

Who had more faith??

Miracles are not the answer to suffering

God is

Fellowship with Him, that is the answer

We want OUR miracle, and we forget what He has already done (Lisa Appleton)

You have a choice

Wait for something “miraculous” to happen, demand more proof, and then maybe you’ll be more faithful....

Talk to God about your faith, thank Him for the miracle He has already done in you

And Praise him to others (tell people about Him) when life proceeds as normal, and also when amazing things do happen

Don’t let people demand proof, or promise “If God shows me.....” He already has

God has already revealed Who He is - now He asks for faith

Many don’t get this, most, actually

What about you?

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