Faith is Just Believing What God Said
John 4:46-54
It seems that down south, some recent excavations for a new highway had contributed to causing a flash flood.
Volunteers risked their lives to rescue victims stranded in the deluge. One old man was up to his knees in the fast-rising waters when a rowboat came. “Hop in, we’ll save you!”
“No thanks, the Lord will provide.”
A short while later, a motor boat was sent to save him. By this time the swirling waters were over his waist, but again he declined: “No thanks, the Lord will provide.”
Soon the water was up to his chin, so a helicopter was dispatched at the last minute. “Climb aboard, this is your last chance!”
“Thanks anyway, but I don’t need you, the Lord will provide.”
Before the helicopter returned home, the old man was mad as a hornet, banging on the Pearly Gates. He bitterly complained to St. Peter, “The last thing I remember I was in trouble, praying up a storm, so why did you let me drown?”
St. Peter looked at him, shook his head, and explained: “We sent you two boats and a helicopter. What more do you want?”
John 4:46 So Jesus came again into Cana of Galilee, where he made the water wine. And there was a certain nobleman, whose son was sick at Capernaum.
47 When he heard that Jesus was come out of Judaea into Galilee, he went unto him, and besought him that he would come down, and heal his son: for he was at the point of death.
His plea received and instant challenge. Jesus looked at the man and ignored his request, and challenged the ground of his faith. “Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe.” These words were also meant for the bystanders.
The nobleman was seen by Jesus as a representative of the kind of people whose faith has to be constantly bolstered by miracles; this, in contrast with the Samaritans who believed without having their faith thus propped up.
48 Then said Jesus unto him, Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe.
The nobleman was obviously irritated by what seemed to him an unnecessary discussion of the niceties of faith. His boy was dying. You can almost hear the exasperation and desperation in his voice.
49 The nobleman saith unto him, Sir, come down ere my child die.
50 Jesus saith unto him, Go thy way; thy son liveth. And the man believed the word that Jesus had spoken unto him, and he went his way.
The Word is superior to signs!
The term the Third Wave of the Holy Spirit also called the Signs and Wonders movement was coined by C. Peter Wagner, professor of church growth at Fuller Theological Seminary School of World Mission. Third Wavers are persuaded that miracles, visions, tongues, prophecies, and healings are essential supplements to the gospel. They view Christianity without those things as impotent, adulterated by the Western, materialistic mind set. Some Third Wavers even say that unbelievers must experience the miraculous to be brought to full faith. Merely preaching the gospel message, they believe without seeing miracles, they say, and those who do will be inadequately converted and therefore stunted in their spiritual growth. Wimber believes that those who simply preach the gospel message fall short of true evangelism. He dubs their approach “programmatic evangelism.” What is needed instead, he says, is “power evangelism.”
Wimber cites Elijah’s confrontation with the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel as a classic example of a “power encounter,” where the power of God vanquishes the power of evil.
But in the end times many will be decieved by signs and wonders.
“And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men,” (Rev 13:13)
“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” (Rev 13:14).
Modern miracle workers have yet to call down fire from heaven, but Third Wave aficionados tell of some fantastic signs and wonders that are happening within the movement. Wimber, for example, reported and incident where a woman’s toe, which had been cut off, supposedly grew back. He described another woman in Australia whose cleft palate closed up miraculously three days after God gave him a “word of knowledge” that she would be healed.
The underlying assumption that drives the whole Third Wave movement is wrong. Miracles, signs, and wonders are impotent to produce either faith or genuine revival. Furthermore, power-encounter ministry misses the whole point of our witness. We are not commissioned to confront satanic power with miracle power. We are commissioned to confront satanic lies with divine truth.
“How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher” (Rom 10:14)?
“And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things” (Rom 10:15)!
“But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report” (Rom 10:16)?
“So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Rom 10:17).
(Luke 16:27, 28). Here’s a testimony from hell itself. The rich man was willing to do anything to keep people out of that miserable place. He pleads with Abraham to send Lazarus back to testify to his brothers, thinking that his brothers would listen to one who had come back from the grave. The word testify is very strong in the original. Normally, the word used is martureo, but this time it is intensified by a prefix diamarturomai. The idea is, “You must earnestly tell them . . . thoroughly convince them not to come to this place.”
Abraham’s response is simple. “they have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them” (16:29). “Moses and the prophets” was the Jewish way of referring to the OT Scriptures. In the 20th Century we would say, “They have the Bible; let them listen to it.” But the Jews were always seeking a sign. That’s why the rich man wants to send one “from the dead” (16:30). that sort of sign would surely convince them to repent. the Pharisees continually asked for a sign, but Jesus did not oblige. They must respond to the Word . . . to the message of the kingdom. but they did not. “If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead” (16:31).
Do you want to know the irony of this story? Only a short time later a man by the name of Lazarus will be raised from the dead (John 11). Lazarus becomes a “public” figure, but notice the Pharisees’ response to him. “But the chief priests consulted that they might put Lazarus also to death” (John 12:10).
Let’s go a step further. A short time after Lazarus was raised, Jesus was crucified by these Pharisees. They sealed the tomb to “guarantee” no resurrection. That didn’t matter. Jesus rose from the dead, but they refused to believe. If you will not believe the Word of God, you will explain away the miraculous works of God. What have you done with the Word of God?
The superiority of the Word over signs.
2 Pet 1:16 For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty.
A Christian’s faith does not rest on clever stories as did the doctrines of the false teachers Peter attacked (2 Peter 2). Instead true faith is founded on historical facts, which eyewitnesses corroborated.
Our faith is not founded on hearsay and rumor, but established concrete evidence.
Peter’s defense of the doctrine of the Second Coming therefore is based on his eyewitness experience on the Mount of Transfiguration at which time he truly saw Christ’s majesty.
Obviously Peter considered this doctrine of great importance, one his readers should always keep in mind.
But how does the transfiguration argue that the Lord will come again with power? The transfiguration was designed to show the three apostles what Christ would be like in His glory, to give them a foretaste of His kingdom. It was a glorious demonstration they would never forget.
2 Pet 1:17 For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
2 Pet 1:18 And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount.
His lofty language may stem from his burning desire to communicate the true majesty of the Savior which he was uniquely privileged to see. Peter wanted his readers to look beyond Christ’s first coming to the time when He will return with that same honor and glory. In his preaching, Peter was firmly committed to the doctrine of the Second Coming (Acts 2:32-33, 36; 3:16, 20-21).
Peter was more impressed by what he heard than what he saw.
2 Pet 1:19 We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts:
In an exhortation Peter told how to derive meaning from God’s Word—pay attention to it. Christians seek to determine or assess truth by the particular way God has worked in their own lives. But for Peter the splendor of his experience faded as he spoke of the surety of the written revelation of the prophets.
Is experience a valid test of truth?
John MacArthur got a letter from somebody in Florida who had heard a wonderful testimony by a woman who had taught her dog to praise the Lord in an unknown bark. On a television program he saw a lady tell about how her flat tire was healed.
Many are being led astray today by self-appointed spiritual Gurus who say they have seen when they aint seen anything.
I Kings 13 reveals the danger of accepting the word of a prophet when you have something better.
2 Pet 1:18 And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount.
2 Pet 1:19 We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts:
2 Pet 1:20 Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.
2 Pet 1:21 For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.
∙ Illumination, 19
2 Pet 1:20 Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.
∙ Scripture should be interpreted only in context.
The Golden Rule of Interpretation designed by the late Bible scholar, Dr. David L. Cooper:
“When the plain sense of scripture makes common sense, seek no other sense, but take every word at its primary literal meaning unless the facts of he immediate context clearly indicate otherwise.”
∙ Scripture should not be interpreted according to one’s own liking.
∙ You can not interpret scripture any way you like!!!
John 4:51 And as he was now going down, his servants met him, and told him, saying, Thy son liveth.
52 Then enquired he of them the hour when he began to amend. And they said unto him, Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him.
The father was no longer frantic.
53 So the father knew that it was at the same hour, in the which Jesus said unto him, Thy son liveth: and himself believed, and his whole house.
This father believed Jesus word about the healing of his son as evidenced by the fact that he did not hurry home. It was the next day when he was met by his servants. He could have easily traveled 20 miles before evening to check on his son.
APPLICATION: Many of us have prayed more then once for Christ to save us. When we get to heaven we may ask the Lord like the Nobleman, “At what time was I saved?” And the Lord will reply, “At the same hour that you believed the word!” The best and only real assurance you have of your salvation is the Word of God!
“These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God” (1 John 5:13).
George Cutting, in Light for Anxious Souls, told about a farmer who lacked the assurance of salvation. He foolishly prayed that as an evidence of his acceptance, the Lord would cause 10 sheep of his flock — and only 10 — to gather in a certain shed out in the pasture. Later that day, when the farmer anxiously approached the shed, he was relieved to find exactly 10 sheep. That gave him a temporary sense of peace. Doubt returned with the shocking thought that it may have been just a coincidence. So he asked the Lord that 10 different sheep might gather in an opposite corner of the pasture. And they did! When the farmer asked, “Did this give you assurance?” he said, “No, nothing gave me certainty until I got the sure Word of God for it.” Cutting concluded, “he was all in a fog of uncertainty until he planted his foot firmly on the “Thus saith the Lord.’”
52, 53. When were you saved? You may find out that it was when you believed the word not felt the feeling.
1 John 5:13
For feelings come and feelings go
And feelings are deceiving
My warrant is the Word of God
Not else is worth believing
Though all my soul should feel condemned
For want of some sweet token,
There is one greater in my heart,
Whose word cannot be broken.
I’ll stand on His unchanging Word,
Till soul and body sever.
For though all things shall pass away,
His Word shall stand forever,
‘Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus,
Just to take Him at His Word,
Just to rest upon His promise,
Just to know, “Thus saith the Lord.” —Stead
54 This is again the second miracle that Jesus did, when he was come out of Judaea into Galilee.
