Good morning family. Whew! I’m ready to go home. Anyone else? I believe we’ve said everything that needed to be said during our worship time… Jesus, the only name that is worthy of being high and lifted up.
There is power in the name of Jesus, to overcome sickness; disease; all manner of ailments; sin; depression; any unholy assignments on us or our families.
We can draw from the Spring of Life, Jesus for all that we need, because He never runs dry. There is resurrecting life in Jesus, who is our hope and salvation. Sounds like a healthy day here at AO.
Well we do have some more time, so why don’t I just go ahead and break open the Word?
Turn with me to John 4.
Pastor Jeff could not be with us today. We honor and bless him and Amy as they minister together in ways that only they can.
I do want to tell you about Wednesdays coming up starting in October. We are going to be more intentional about being a resource and training Outpost for the Kingdom. Wednesday nights has been the predominate teaching platform for our church, and that will continue, however, we will be using some different means and sources of teaching as we move forward. We’ll be having some other voices and content, all scripturally based to help equip us to have more resources for Kingdom work.
We are kicking this change off with a Night of Worship on 10/1. We will be sprinkling in some fellowship meals and evangelism.
Pastor Jeff will still be teaching from time to time, but will also be freed up to meet with some individual ministry groups here within the church.
He’s begun doing that this week in fact, he started meeting with the deacon’s in training. He’ll be meeting with the worship team and some of the other groups here at AO. I think this is going to be a good thing for our AO family, on our Wednesday nights moving forward.
Alright John ch. 4
Some of you may remember that a couple of weeks ago, when Efa was interviewing Kati, our in house missionary, it came up that I lived in Malaysia. My dad actually grew up in Vietnam, and when my family was in Malaysia, it was his dream to show us some of the very meaningful places that he remembered when he was younger….
Title: “Desperation to Transformation”
Text: John 4:46–54
This story is not just about a healing—it’s about the progression of faith. From shallow faith based on signs, to deeper faith that takes Jesus at His word, to household-transforming faith that brings salvation.
We live in a world where we used to say, “I’ll believe it when I see it.” But now we see so many “unbelievable” things, that even our eyes can deceive us now. But, I think that if we commit ourselves to basing our belief on the things that don’t change, that stay the same yesterday, today and forever, then we will understand that God says, we can take it to the bank. The message of this text is that: “I believe it because God said it.”
Scripture Reading: John 4:46–54
- Verse 46–47 – A desperate father comes to Jesus. His son is near death. Notice: rank and wealth cannot prevent suffering. There is no amount of “status” or “position” that prevents a hopeless sense of desperation.
Trouble is a great equalizer…it hits all of us at some point. Sure, there are seasons of victory and success, but how many know that those seasons can be temporary? No cake walk here.
We live a life of varying trials and different measures of desperation, at that can lead us in different directions. We use different avenues to try and find answers or healing or we try and avoid or escape the problems. One direction is in isolation, the other is to the feet of Jesus, the miracle working God that according to Ps 34…is near to the broken hearted and saves the crushed in spirit. (Ps 34:18)
This King’s man, this royal official, this father came to Jesus because he had no other hope. A drowning man doesn’t care about the brand of the life preserver—he just wants to be saved. In the same way, desperation strips away pride, position, and possessions, and brings us to Jesus just as we are. That’s where faith begins.
His faith was ignited due to the desperation that he and his family were feeling.
I believe in a sovereign God. There is absolutely nothing that takes Him by surprise. So I think that within that sovereignty He allows “opportunities” to help draw us towards Himself. I believe he allows crisis moments to beckon us. He is a “big picture” God that allows circumstance and trial because He has GLORY in mind. He allows things to happen that are so complicated that it becomes impossible to fix by natural means. That way, when we do see a miracle, there is no mistake that it was He, that did it.
Not money; not status; not position…none of these things…nobility; intellect; capability, resourcefulness, none of these things kept this father and his family from experiencing a problem that he couldn’t fix, and it forced him to the feet of Jesus.
God is more committed to building our faith and dependence on Him, than His is committed to giving us “comfort.” Don’t despise desperation; it’s a doorway to faith.
Ps. 107:6 Israel in the wilderness. surrounded by enemies; hungry; thirsty…“Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and He delivered them from their distress.” They couldn’t do it by themselves, so God gets the glory.
Gideon in Judges 7 story.
Application: Don’t despise the desperation—it may be the doorway to deeper faith.
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- Verse 48 – Jesus challenges: “Unless you see signs and wonders, you will not believe.
Uh Oh! This one hurt a little bit. Guilty! How anemic is my faith? Remember, faith is not built on what we see, but on what God says. Romans 10:17 says, “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.” Jesus’ reply may seem harsh, but He’s addressing a culture of miracle-chasers.
What Jesus is actually doing here is, He wants to grow the man’s faith from seeking a sign to trusting in His word. Jesus is testing our motives here…do we want Him or just His help?
*Those are 2 different things now. Are we seeking the miracle, or the miracle worker? I’m not here to judge anyone’s motives. I’m here to provoke you to judge you own. Jesus, I need your help over here again. I’ve made quite a mess for myself. Jesus, I need you to save my son, or mom, she’s really sick and dying. Now I know my Bible has a coat of dust on it. I know my radio station or the podcasts that I listen to, doesn’t always …….glorify You. I know the shows that I watch or the the reels on my feed can sometimes….bump up against the boundaries that you want for me, but I’m in a real pinch right now. I can’t fix this on my own. Do I sound like anyone else in here?
I want to be really clear right now. I don’t believe that God has a celestial clip board checking off metrics and measures of how much Bible we read or how much we pray. Those things are important. Remember, we are in relationship with Him. We are in cooperation with Him. How better to learn who He is and the rhythm with which He works than to read His Word and pray? There is no better way.
And we are told in Philippians 4:6 to “not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
So He invites us to ask, sure. But it’s not a nervous ask. It’s not a anxious “oh, I’m not sure if He’s gonna do it for me.” This is a faith filled prayer, one that you are bringing before Him with thanksgiving. Then the peace comes. That peace comes from knowing Him, remember it surpasses all understanding.
OH LORD, may our desperation for you vastly out weigh our desire for comfort.
- Verse 49 – The father pleads again. His desperation has made him persistent. He’s not offended by what Jesus said, he’s focused. We don’t need to spend a lot of time on this one, but I wanted to reaffirm what we already know. Desperation breeds determination. I think we can all understand that when we are in the middle of difficult circumstances that it seems to be all that we can think about. I know that when I’m in the fire, everything else filter’s through that difficulty. Filter’s can get thin. Reactions can look a little snippy, right? Decisions and words can be unleashed out of pain from a circumstance or trauma that don’t really have anything to do with each other. This father’s need for his son to be healed is paramount. Everything else pales in comparison. The only thing that mattered was the “miracle worker” was right in front of him, and he needed Jesus’ attention. It reminds me of Matt. 7:7 when Jesus says: “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened for you.” Remember, we’ve talked about this before…it’s ask-and then keep on asking…keep on seeking…keep on knocking. Luke 18:1-7 is a parable…that I love: Let’s read it. So we get a picture that this lady has relentlessly come before the judge for his attention to a matter. A matter that only He can attend to. She keeps asking and asking, and seeking and seeking and knocking and knocking until she wears Him down. I will answer her, because if I don’t…she won’t let up. So I don’t think this father is going to take “no” for an answer. He has a tremendous need and his only hope is standing right in front of him.
Lord: bless us with fortitude. Help us to not grow weary in our contending for an answered prayer.
- Verse 50 – Jesus simply says, “Go; your son lives.” No touch, no travel, just a word. And then the man believed the word that Jesus spoke.
Jesus gave no visible proof, only His word. The man believed and went home. Jesus gives no sign, no visible proof. Just a word.
As we read scripture we see that a lot. More than maybe we realize. We do see the effect of those words, but the faith was tested first, then Jesus gave them the WORD. Then the miracle happened.
We see it in Matt. 8: when the centurion was asking Jesus to heal his servant, and said “Just speak the word, and my servant will be healed.” Again, we see it in Matt 15 when the Canaanite women was asking for healing for her demonized daughter. She was relentlessly pursuing healing for her daughter, from Jesus, the miracle worker, and after He tested her faith, He gave her a word. He said: “Oh woman, great is your faith? Be it done for you as you desire.” Then her daughter was healed.
This is the heart of faith — believing without seeing. The official obeys immediately — he trusts Jesus’ word enough to walk away. The “word” of healing was given in response to their faith.
Anyone else struggle with this? Not the truth of it…but the application of it? Just me? Ok…I’m ok with that.
Can I just give you a few moments of vulnerability?
I pray constantly for healing and miracles, but I know…more times than I care to admit, that my faith is diminished.
I have no problem believing that the Lord can do whatever he wants to do. I know he can part the waters; make the blind see; make the lame walk and calm the storm. He can!
My hang-up is “will He do it again for me?” In my preparation for this message, I was talking to Kelly about this. I’m more committed to “He can…He can…He can.” Than I am to “He will…He will…He will.” It’s a safer prayer. OOOOOOOOF!
It gives me an “out.” Keeps my expectations low. I believe that this deficiency…yes I said deficiency is born out of a fear of disappointment.
I believe that because I don’t always come to Him with an expectation, that I may be missing out on an answer.
Wait a minute! Wait… just a minute! That “milk” still tastes good! Who am I to presume or expect anything from the Lord? His ways are better than mine. His thoughts are higher than mine. The glory is His. …So I guess I’ll just sit here passively and receive anything that He wants to give me. It’s His will…not mine.
I’m afraid that I/we/us take that position to easily. I believe that I’ve missed some breakthroughs due to my ambivalence and passivity.
Now, this isn’t testimony time…I just want you to realize that I’m preaching to myself also. I shudder to think of all the times I take a request before the Lord and when I say “Amen” my next thought is…”I wonder if He heard me,” or “I wonder if He’ll do it this time.” That doubt slips in…. Maybe I’m the only one…I don’t think so.
Allow me to put our minds at ease…It is His will to heal. It’s all through scripture. It is His will to heal. All we are doing is holding onto the infallible promises of the one true and living God. Now…say it with me…”It is His will to heal.”
Anyways, Vs 50 says that “the man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him, and he went his way.” As soon as I read that, I thought of that old kid’s song…
God said it and I believe it and that settles it for me. God said it and I believe it and that settles it for me.
Though some may doubt that His word is true, but I’ve chosen to believe it, now how about you…
God said it and I believe it and that settles it for me.
I think the nobleman is the one who wrote that song. Here is another, much more dignified way of saying it…
When you deposit money in the bank, you don’t see it physically placed in a vault—you trust the promise of the institution. If we can trust a fallible bank with our earthly money, how much more should we trust the infallible word of the living God?
Faith isn’t proven by what we say, but by whether we obey. Can we trust God’s word even when we don’t see results yet? Remember, God’s word will not return void. It will always yield something great!
- Verses 51–53 – While he was still on the way, his servants met him with the news that his boy was living.” We discover through these verses that the healing happened at the exact moment Jesus spoke. This made the man connect the dots. He already believed Jesus as the healer, but now…also as Lord.
Healing is confirmed at the exact moment Jesus spoke. The father’s faith grows from trusting a word to experiencing a miracle. Sometimes we see confirmation later, but obedience comes first. And when God answers, it often builds our faith even more.
- Healing is confirmed at the exact moment Jesus spoke and his whole household believes. The healing was not just physical—it brought salvation to the whole household. God often uses one person’s faith to bring blessings to many. Real faith is never “Private.” It’s supposed to bear witness and spread.
Years ago, a missionary told the story of a tribe in Africa that had never seen running water. The people drew from stagnant pools, and many grew sick. The missionary built a well that brought up fresh, clean water. At first, some doubted—it didn’t look like the old water, and they weren’t sure it would sustain them. But once one family began to drink, their health improved, and soon the entire village followed. Eventually, the whole community was transformed because one family was willing to trust what they could not see at first.
That’s what happened with the nobleman’s household. One man believed the word of Jesus, and his whole family experienced the miracle.
A single candle can light a dark room, but when one candle lights another, and that one lights another, soon the whole house is filled with light. In the same way, the nobleman’s faith didn’t just bless him—it spread until his whole household believed.
Acts 16:31 – “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.”
This hits a little close to home, but I’m gonna tell it anyway. Pastor Josh and I had the privilege to go to the hospital and meet with Matt and Cate Seithel early on when their son Malachi had a devastating diagnosis, of a giant cancerous tumor in his abdomen. Now, I hadn’t done a lot of visitation to that point, but I know what hospital rooms feel like. I know what they smell like. Kelly and I have spent a good amount of time in those rooms especially with our son Ezekiel. So…needless to say, I felt prepared for what I thought we were walking into. I was not prepared. It actually smelled like faith in that room. It was a holy place. The Lord was there.
The circumstances around Malachi could have been devastating, could have been hopeless. But when we walked in, we saw “peace” all over mom and daddy’s faces. We saw fatigue, sure, but we saw a determination and resilience that can only come from a deep faith in the Almighty.
There was zero room for despair in that place, because faith had filled every corner. And as we prayed and listened and agreed with each other, the roots of my faith were deepened and I felt my faith rise up, until all the dread and “what-ifs” in my head were gone. Matt and Cate, you guys are a treasure to this house. I’m so grateful for the measure of your faith because it raises everyone else’s.
This is what we see in our Bible story. Jesus, who had spoken, healed his son without a touch, without ceremony, without anointing oil. Just healed him with a word, and it transformed his family. It’s not that everyone was just relieved that the son was ok and that he was going to live. It goes beyond being thankful and showing gratitude. They went from despair to transformed. They believed in Jesus, not just as healer, but Lord. The whole environment of that household shifted and it left a legacy of honoring God.
There is the Glory. To God be the Glory, great things he has done.
Application: Your faith can change your family, your workplace, your community. Lord, let it be so.
Conclusion & Call
This story is about moving from sign-seeking faith to word-trusting faith, to life-transforming faith.
Maybe today, you’re in desperation like the nobleman. Maybe you’re asking God for a miracle. Jesus is saying: “Trust Me. Take Me at My word.”
- If you’re sick—His word says, “By His stripes we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5).
- If you’re burdened—His word says, “Cast all your cares upon Him” (1 Peter 5:7).
- If you feel far from God—His word says, “Whoever calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Romans 10:13).
Will we take Jesus at His word today?
🙏 Closing Prayer:
Lord, help us to move from having to see the miracle before we believe, to taking you at your word and believing what you say, and then walking in obedience. Give us a faith that holds onto Your word, even when our eyes can’t see. God, I ask that you would transform our homes, our jobs and our communities, because You’ve given us boldness with our faith. You are the transformer. You are the miracle worker. Won’t You please do for us what we cannot do for ourselves. We love you Lord.