Deepening Faith
Audio Recording
Sermon Outline
Speaker: Rev. Scott Strickman
Sermon Series: John 1-12: Come, See, Live!
John 4:43-54 (ESV)
43 After the two days he departed for Galilee. 44 (For Jesus himself had testified that a prophet has no honor in his own hometown.) 45 So when he came to Galilee, the Galileans welcomed him, having seen all that he had done in Jerusalem at the feast. For they too had gone to the feast.
46 So he came again to Cana in Galilee, where he had made the water wine. And at Capernaum there was an official whose son was ill. 47 When this man heard that Jesus had come from Judea to Galilee, he went to him and asked him to come down and heal his son, for he was at the point of death. 48 So Jesus said to him, “Unless you see signs and wonders you will not believe.” 49 The official said to him, “Sir, come down before my child dies.” 50 Jesus said to him, “Go; your son will live.” The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and went on his way. 51 As he was going down, his servants met him and told him that his son was recovering. 52 So he asked them the hour when he began to get better, and they said to him, “Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him.” 53 The father knew that was the hour when Jesus had said to him, “Your son will live.” And he himself believed, and all his household. 54 This was now the second sign that Jesus did when he had come from Judea to Galilee.
Sermon Outline
The faith needed for life deepens through a process of seeing, acting with trust and growing with God.
1. From Testing to Needing
v47 When this man heard that Jesus had come from Judea to Galilee, he went to him and asked him to come down and heal his son, for he was at the point of death.
v48 So Jesus said to him, “Unless you see signs and wonders you will not believe.”
2. From Thinking to Trying
v50 The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and went on his way.
3. From Seeing Narrowly to Comprehensively
v53 The father knew that was the hour when Jesus had said to him, “Your son will live.”
v53 And he himself believed, and all his household.
Prayer of Confession
Almighty God, we confess our unbelief. Underneath our questions and reservations about you are pride, folly, ignorance, and idolatry. We have not trusted you as we ought. Instead, we have thought, said and done things that dishonor you and cause damage. Forgive all of our sins. You have shown yourself to be far greater than we can think or imagine, and we pray for on-going grace. We appeal to you with faith in Christ, amen.
Questions for Reflection
Do you find faith hard or easy? Why?
How do the miracles recorded in the Gospels help belief? What challenges do they raise?
Why are crisis points often where people discover or develop faith? Are crises necessary for a person to come to faith or grow in faith?
Do you have trouble moving from thinking to action? Why?
Why is believing what Jesus says crucial? Does believing what he says always require action?
Do you believe God is active in the world? How do you recognize what God is doing? How much should you be able to see or understand?
How does the death of Jesus on our behalf instill confidence that we can trust him? What can we trust?