Healing the Nobleman's Son
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The Miracles of Jesus in the Gospel Of John • Sermon • Submitted • Presented • 24:36
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1
A MAN WAS SITTING ON THE BANKS
OF A RIVER
• WHEN HE NOTICED A SMALL LITTLE
FISH THAT LOOKED VERY WORRIED
• THE MAN ASKED THE FISH WHAT HE
WAS WORRIED ABOUT
• THE FISH REPLIED, “I HAVE BECOME
SO VERY THIRSTY”
• I AM WORRIED, THAT AS THIRSTY
AS I AM,
• IF I DRINK MY FILL….. I MIGHT
DRAIN THE RIVER DRY”
• THE MAN TRIED TO EXPLAIN
JUST HOW BIG THE RIVER WAS
TO THE LITTLE FISH
• BUT TRY AS HE MIGHT HE COULD
NOT GET THE FISH TO UNDERSTAND
• THAT HE COULD NEVER DRINK THE
RIVER DRY
• LATER THAT NIGHT AS THE MAN
KNEELED BY HIS BED IN PRAYERS
• HE PRAYED, OH LORD, I HAVE SO
MANY PROBLEMS
• I AM AFRAID TO ASK FOR YOUR HELP
IN ALL THESE MANY PROBLEMS
• I HAVE FAITH THAT YOU WILL HELP IN
SOME
• BUT I CANNOT IMAGINE THAT YOU
WOULD HELP IN SO MANY PROBLEMS
• JUST THEN THE MAN WAS REMINDED
OF THE LITTLE FISH
• THAT THOUGHT HE COULD DRINK
THE RIVER DRY
• THE VERY IDEA THAT WE COULD
HAVE TO MUCH FAITH IN GOD
• THAT WE MIGHT EVER THINK WE
COULD ASK TO MUCH OF HIM
• THAT GOD MIGHT SOME HOW RUN
OUT OF GRACE AND MERCY
• IS QUITE LIKE THE LITTLE
WORRIED FISH THINKING HE
WOULD DRINK THE RIVER DRY
• IN LIFE WE ARE GOING TO
ENCOUNTER VAST DIFFICULTIES,
IMMENSE PROBLEM
• GIANT TRIALS, HUGE STRUGGLES
• YET WE MUST ALWAYS
UNDERSTAND THESE ARE ALL
DWARFED
• BY THE GOD WHO LOVES US AND
CARES FOR
• WE NEED TO KNOW WE CAN NEVER
HAVE TO MUCH FAITH IN GOD
• WE WILL NEVER PRAY HIM DRY….
• WHEN A FAMILY CANNOT PAY THE
BILLS
• AND IN FAITH THEY PRAY TO GOD
• AND GOD GETS THEM THROUGH
THE ROUGH TIMES
• IT SHOULD STRENGTHEN THEIR
FAITH
• AND DRAW THEM LEAN ON GOD,
TRUST IN GOD EVEN MORE…
• TODAY WE ARE GONNA LOOK AT A
MAN
• IN THE MIDST OF A TRIAL COMING
TO CHRIST HOPING FOR HEALING…
• CHRIST WILL PROVIDE THAT
HEALING IN A WAY
• THAT RESULTS IN FAITH AND BELIEF
GROWING
• TURN TO JOHN 4:46
• JESUS HAD MEET THE WOMAN AT
THE WELL
• SHE AND MANY FROM HER VILLAGE
• HAD COME TO BELIEVE IN JESUS AS
THE SAVIOR
• WITHOUT ANY MIRACLE BEING
DONE
• JESUS HAD LEFT SAMARIA AND
COME INTO GALILEE
• THESE GALILEANS HAD SEEN THE
MIRACLES
• JESUS HAD DONE IN JERUSALEM
AT THE FEAST
• JESUS WILL PREFORM A HERE IN
GALILEE MIRACLE BUT HE WILL
NOT PROVIDE A SIGN OR WONDER
JOHN 4:46–47
THEREFORE HE CAME AGAIN TO
CANA OF GALILEE WHERE HE HAD
MADE THE WATER WINE. AND THERE
WAS A ROYAL OFFICIAL WHOSE SON
WAS SICK AT CAPERNAUM. WHEN HE
HEARD THAT JESUS HAD COME OUT
OF JUDEA INTO GALILEE,
HE WENT TO HIM AND WAS
IMPLORING HIM TO COME
DOWN AND HEAL HIS SON;
FOR HE WAS AT THE POINT
OF DEATH.
THE SETTING OF THE MIRACLE
REPORTED
• JOHN TELLS US THE WHERE THIS
MIRACLE OCCURRED
• IT WAS IN CANA OF GALILEE ,
ABOUT 8 OR 9 MILES NORTH OF
NAZARETH
• JOHN REMINDS US THAT THIS IS WHERE
JESUS HAD TURNED WATER INTO WINE
• I WANT US TO NOTICE THE WORD
THEREFORE
• THEREFORE HE CAME AGAIN TO CANA
OF GALILEE
• THEREFORE TELLS US THAT WHAT EVER
CAME RIGHT BEFORE THIS
• IS THE REASON JESUS CAME
AGAIN TO CANA OF GALILEE
• IF WE GO BACK ONE VERSE IT
SAYS
JOHN 4:45
SO WHEN HE CAME TO GALILEE,
THE GALILEANS RECEIVED HIM,
HAVING SEEN ALL THE THINGS
THAT HE DID IN JERUSALEM AT
THE FEAST; FOR THEY THEMSELVES
ALSO WENT TO THE FEAST.
• I THINK JOHN IS SAYING THE
REASON JESUS WENT TO CANA OF
GALILEE
• IS BECAUSE; THE GALILEANS
RECEIVED HIM, HAVING SEEN ALL
THE THINGS THAT HE DID IN
JERUSALEM AT THE FEAST;
• THIS IS ACTUALLY A VERY
IMPORTANT PART OF THIS MIRACLE
• THEY HAD SEEN THE SIGNS AND
WONDERS JESUS HAD DONE
• IN JERUSALEM AT THE FEAST AND
THEY HAD RECEIVED HIM OR
ACKNOWLEDGED HIM
• BASICALLY, THEY SAW HIM DO
MIRACLES AND BELIEVED HE WAS
FROM GOD
• THIS DOES NOT MEAN THEY
BELIEVED IN HIM AS SAVOIR, JUST
THAT
• THEY RECEIVED HIM AS BEING FROM
GOD
• SO, JESUS IS IN GALILEE BECAUSE
THE PEOPLE OF GALILEE
• HAD SEEN MIRACLES, SIGNS AND
WONDERS IN JERUSALEM..
• WHILE HE IS IN GALILEE, HE
ENCOUNTERS A MAN WITH A
NEED
THE NEED FOR THE MIRACLE
RECOUNTED
• THE MAN WHO NEEDS THE
MIRACLE IS DESCRIBED AS
• A ROYAL OFFICIAL
• NOW JOHN IS NOT VERY SPECIFIC
ABOUT WHO THIS MAN IS
• THE TERM ROYAL OFFICIAL COULD
MEAN SOMEONE
• IN THE ROMAN GOVERNMENT, WHO
IS RELATED TO CESAR
• OR IT COULD MEAN SOMEONE IN
THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT WHO
• WORKS FOR HEROD, WHO IS BOTH A
GOVERNOR OF GALILEE
• AND BY BIRTH A KING
• IT DOES NOT MAKE TO MUCH
DIFFERENCE IF HE IS
• A ROMAN OFFICER OR A LOCAL
OFFICIAL WORKING FOR HEROD
• THE POINT OF CALLING HIM A ROYAL
OFFICIAL
• IS REALLY SO WE UNDERSTAND
THAT HE HAS A VERY HIGH
SOCIAL STANDING
• NO MATTER WHO HE IS, HE HAS
A SOCIAL STATUS
• THAT IS MUCH HIGHER THAN A
CARPENTER WALKING
• AROUND THE DESERT WITH A BUNCHA
EX-FISHERMEN FOLLOWING HIM
• THE POINT OF CALLING HIM A ROYAL
OFFICIAL
• IS SO THAT THOSE READING
UNDERSTAND HE COULD HAVE
ORDERED
• JESUS TO DO PRETTY MUCH ANYTHING
HE WANTED TO ORDER HIM TO DO….
• THEN JOHN TELLS US THIS MAN’S
NEED
• THE MAN’S SON WAS SICK AT
CAPERNAUM.
• WE ARE NOT TOLD WHAT KIND OF
SICKNESS
• BUT WE ARE TOLD THE
SERIOUSNESS OF THE SICKNESS
• JOHN SAYS THE BOY WAS AT THE
POINT OF DEATH.
• THIS PHRASE HAS MORE BEHIND IT
THAN WE SEE AT FIRST GLANCE
• IT REALLY MEANS THERE WAS
NOTHING LEFT TO TRY
• EVERYTHING KNOWN TO MAN HAD
BEEN TRIED AND FAILED
• THIS LETS US KNOW HOW DESPERATE
THE MAN WAS….
• JOHN TELLS US THIS DESPERATE MAN
HEARD
• THAT JESUS WHO HAD PREFORMED
SIGNS AND WONDERS
• AT THE FEAST IN JERUSALEM HAD
COME OUT OF JUDEA & INTO GALILEE
• SO, HE LEAVES CAPERNAUM AND
GOES TO FIND JESUS IN CANA OF
GALILEE
• THAT IS ABOUT 17 MILES, JUST ON
THE POSSIBILITY THAT HE MIGHT
• FIND JESUS THERE, AND THAT JESUS
MIGHT COME BACK WITH HIM
• AND THAT JESUS MIGHT HEAL HIS
SON.
• THAT IS A LOTTA MIGHT’S
• AND WHEN THIS ROYAL OFFICIAL
FINDS JESUS
• WE SEE THAT HE DOES NOT ORDER
JESUS TO COME HEAL HIS SON
• THE TEXT SAYS HE WAS; IMPLORING
HIM TO COME DOWN AND HEAL HIS
SON;
• IN OUR WORLD THIS DOES NOT
SEEM LIKE A BIG DEAL
• PEOPLE DON’T GO AROUND
ORDERING EACH OTHER TO DO
THINGS
• BUT IN THEIR WORLD, THIS IS
HUGE
• ANY ROYAL OFFICIAL HAD THE
POWER TO ORDER
• SOME ONE OF JESUS’ SOCIAL
STATUS TO DO PRETTY MUCH
ANYTHING
• AND THEY HAD TO DO IT, OR THEY
COULD BE ARRESTED
• THERE WERE LEGAL LIMITS TO
WHAT COULD BE ORDERED
• BUT OFFICIAL ABUSED THIS POWER
ALL THE TIME
• EVEN IF THIS ROYAL OFFICIAL COULD
NOT HAVE LEGALLY
• ORDERED JESUS TO COME HEAL
HIS SON
• HE CERTAINLY COULD HAVE
ABUSED HIS POWER AND
ORDERED HIM
• I THINK THIS STATEMENT A
ABOUT THIS MAN’S CHARACTER
• AS WELL AS HIS RESPECT FOR JESUS
• WE WILL SEE THIS RESPECT FOR
JESUS
• DISPLAYED AGAIN AS JESUS
RESPONDS
• TO THE MAN’S PLEADING FOR
HEALING
JOHN 4:48–50
SO JESUS SAID TO HIM, “UNLESS YOU
PEOPLE SEE SIGNS AND WONDERS, YOU
SIMPLY WILL NOT BELIEVE.” THE ROYAL
OFFICIAL SAID TO HIM, “SIR, COME DOWN
BEFORE MY CHILD DIES.” JESUS SAID TO
HIM, “GO; YOUR SON LIVES.” THE MAN
BELIEVED THE WORD THAT JESUS SPOKE
TO HIM AND STARTED OFF.
THE REQUEST FOR THE MIRACLE
REBUKED
• THIS MAN HAD COME 17 MILES
• HE HAD PLEADED WITH,
IMPLORED JESUS
• TO COME TO CAPERNAUM TO
HEAL HIS SON
• WHO WAS AT THE POINT OF DEATH
• AND JESUS RESPONDS BY SAYING
• “UNLESS YOU PEOPLE SEE SIGNS
AND WONDERS, YOU SIMPLY WILL
NOT BELIEVE.”
• THIS MAY SEEM A LITTLE HARSH TO
US
• BUT WE NEED TO NOTICE
SOMETHINGS HERE
• FIRST, WE NEED TO SEE WHO JESUS
IS TALKING TO IN THIS RESPONSE
• HE DOES NOT DIRECTLY ADDRESS
THE ROYAL OFFICAL
• HE SAYS… YOU PLURAL..
• OUR NASB TRANSLATES THAT AS
YOU PEOPLE
• HERE IN TEXAS WE WOULD SAY YA’LL
• JESUS IS NOT TALKING JUST TO THIS
ROYAL OFFICIAL
• HE IS TALKING TO ALL THOSE
STANDING AROUND
• THE GALILEANS THE ONES WHO HAD
• RECEIVED HIM, HAVING SEEN ALL
THE THINGS THAT HE DID IN
JERUSALEM AT THE FEAST;
• THIS IDEA OF NOT BELIEVING
WITHOUT ACTUALLY SEEING
• IS THE KEY TO UNDERSTANDING THE
MIRACLE JESUS IS ABOUT TO DO
• AND I THINK JESUS IS NOT SO MUCH
REBUKING THE ROYAL OFFICIAL
• AS HE IS REBUKING THOSE STANDING
AROUND WANTING TO SEE
• ANOTHER SIGN OR WONDER
• THERE IS ANOTHER KEY THING HERE
IN THIS REBUKE
• JESUS SAYS UNLESS THEY SEE SIGNS
AND WONDERS, THEY WILL NOT
BELIEVE
• JESUS HAD JUST COME FROM
SAMARIA AND THE WOMEN AT THE
WELL
• THE WOMAN HAD BELIEVED, MANY
IN THE TOWN HAD BELIEVED
• AND THEY HAD ALL BELIEVED
WITHOUT SEEING ANY SIGNS AND
WONDERS
• BUT THESE PEOPLE WOULD NOT
BELIEVE UNLESS THEY SAW SIGNS
AND WONDERS
• JOHN FREQUENTLY USES THE WORD
SIGN DESCRIBE THE MIRACLES OF
JESUS
• BUT THIS IS THE ONLY PLACE JOHN
USES THE WORD WONDERS
• THIS WORD, WONDERS, MEANS
SOMETHING SHOWY, BIG AND
FLASHY
• SOMETHING IMPRESSIVE, NOT
JUST A MIRACLE BUT A SPECTACLE!
• NOW, THE BIBLE IS FILLED WITH
BOTH SIGNS AND WONDERS
• THERE IS NOTHING AT ALL WRONG
WITH GOD DOING
• BIG IMPRESSIVE THINGS, PARTING
THE RED SEA,
• STOPPING THE SUN, WALKING ON
WATER
• RAISING LAZARUS FROM THE DEAD
• THE PROBLEM HERE IS THAT THEY
WILL NOT BELIEVE
• NOT TRUST, NOT HAVE FAITH
WITHOUT THESE SIGNS AND
WONDERS
• THE ROYAL OFFICIAL IS NOT PUT OFF
BY THE REBUKE
THE REQUEST FOR THE MIRACLE
REPEATED
• EVEN THOUGH THE ROYAL OFFICIAL
IS OF A MUCH HIGH SOCIAL RANK
• THAN JESUS HE IS NOT PUT OFF BY
WHAT JESUS HAS SAID
• THIS AGAIN SHOWS HE HAS RESPECT
FOR JESUS
• HE DOES NOT HOLD HIS RANK OVER
JESUS HE SIMPLY SAYS
• “SIR, COME DOWN BEFORE MY CHILD
DIES.”
• HE DID NOT TRY TO ARGUE WITH WHAT
JESUS HAD SAID
• HE DID NOT TAKE IT AS A PERSONAL
INSULT
• HE SIMPLY ASKED AGAIN…
THE MIRACLE REALIZED
• THE CROWDS WANTED SIGNS AND
WONDERS
• THE ROYAL OFFICIAL JUST WANTED
HIS SON HEALED
• AND JESUS DOES HEAL HIS SON
• BUT HE DOES SO WITHOUT
PROVIDING A SIGN OR A WONDER
• THERE IS NO VISIBLE INDICATION
THAT A MIRACLE HAS OCCURRED
• JESUS MERELY TELLS THE ROYAL
OFFICIAL “GO; YOUR SON LIVES.”
• NOW, THAT WORD GO IS KINDA A
BIG DEAL
• REMEMBER JESUS IS A WANDERING
TEACHER, A FORMER CARPENTER
• HE HAS NO SOCIAL STATUS OR RANK
• AND WHEN HE TELLS THIS ROYAL
OFFICIAL TO GO
• HE USES A FORM OF THE WORD
THAT IS AN ORDER
• HE IS NOT ASKING HIM TO GO, HE IS
NOT REQUESTING THAT HE GO
• HE IS ORDERING HIM TO GO
• THIS MAY NOT SEEM LIKE A BIG
DEAL TO US
• BUT IN A WORLD THAT RUNS ON
SOCIAL RANK IT IS HUGE
• AND WHEN JESUS SAYS YOUR
SON LIVE
• HE SAYS IT IN A WAY THAT MEANS
YOUR SON WILL CONTINUE TO LIVE
• HE MEANS… YOUR SON HAS BEEN
HEALED..
• HE NO LONGER IS AT THE POINT OF
DEATH
• AND THEN WE ARE TOLD HOW THE
ROYAL OFFICIAL RESPONDS
THE MIRACLE RECEIVED
• THIS ROYAL OFFICIAL COULD HAVE
• JUST ORDERED JESUS TO COME WITH
HIM ANYWAY
• BUT JOHN TELLS US
• THE MAN BELIEVED THE WORD THAT
JESUS SPOKE TO HIM AND STARTED
OFF.
• THIS ROYAL OFFICIAL WHOSE SON
WAS AT THE POINT OF DEATH
• BELIEVED, TRUSTED, HAD FAITH IN
THE WORD THAT JESUS HAD SPOKEN
• WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND THAT AT
THIS POINT
• THE MAN HAS NOT HAD FAITH IN
JESUS AS THE SON OF GOD, THE
SAVIOR OF THE WORLD
• THE TEXT IS NOT TELLING US THIS
MAN HAS BEEN SAVED
• BUT REMEMBER THAT JESUS HAD
JUST SAID
• “UNLESS YOU PEOPLE SEE SIGNS
AND WONDERS, YOU SIMPLY WILL
NOT BELIEVE.”
• THIS FAITH IN THE WORD JESUS HAD
SAID YOUR SON LIVES
• HAS JUST HAPPENED WITHOUT THE
MAN SEEING SIGNS AND WONDERS
• HE HAS BELIEVED IN SOMETHING
WITHOUT SEEING IT
• HE HAS BELIEVED THAT JESUS HAS
HEALED HIS SON
• EVEN WITHOUT SEEING THE
HEALING OCCUR HE HAS FAITH IN IT
• THIS IS THE POINT OF THIS MIRACLE
• EVERYTHING CENTERS ON THIS ONE
EVENT
• JESUS HEALS WITHOUT ANY VISIBLE
SIGN OR WONDER
• AND THIS ROYAL OFFICIAL BELIEVES
• BUT THIS FAITH NEEDS TO GROW
• IT NEEDS TO BE IN JESUS AS SAVOIR
• NOT JUST IN HIS WORDS YOUR SON
LIVES
• BUT FAITH IN JESUS HIMSELF
JOHN 4:51–53
AS HE WAS NOW GOING DOWN, HIS
SLAVES MET HIM, SAYING THAT HIS
SON WAS LIVING. SO HE INQUIRED OF
THEM THE HOUR WHEN HE BEGAN
TO GET BETTER. THEN THEY SAID TO
HIM, “YESTERDAY AT THE SEVENTH
HOUR THE FEVER LEFT HIM.”
SO THE FATHER KNEW THAT IT
WAS AT THAT HOUR IN WHICH
JESUS SAID TO HIM, “YOUR
SON LIVES”; AND HE HIMSELF
BELIEVED AND HIS WHOLE
HOUSEHOLD.
THE REALITY OF THE MIRACLE
• I THINK THE POINT OF THIS MIRACLE
IS THAT
• WE SHOULD HAVE FAITH IN GOD
EVEN WHEN WE DON’T SEE HIM
WORK
• NOW, DON’T GET ME WRONG IT IS A
BLESSING
• WHEN WE SEE SIGNS AND
WONDERS
• AND THERE IS NOTHING WRONG
WITH FAITH
• THAT COMES FROM SEEING GOD
WORKING IN OUR LIVES
• BUT THERE IS SOMETHING SPECIAL
ABOUT A FAITH
• THAT COMES FROM TRUSTING THAT
GOD HAS WORKED
• IN OUR LIVES EVEN WHEN WE CAN’T
SEE HIM WORKING
• SOMETIME GOD WORKS IN OUR
LIVES AND WE DON’T SEE IT
• BUT THEN GOD PROVIDES SOME
KIND OF CONFIRMATION
• THAT HE DID IN FACT WORK A
MIRACLE IN OUR LIVES
• THE ROYAL OFFICIAL TRUSTED
CHRIST’S WORDS YOUR SON LIVES
• AND HAS HE WAS GOING HOME
GOD CONFIRMED THE FACT
• THAT A MIRACLE HAD IN FACT TAKEN
PLACE
• BUT DID YOU NOTICE HOW THE
ROYAL OFFICIAL
• HAD TO SEEK THIS CONFIRMATION
• GOD’S PROVIDENCE PROVIDED THE
OPPORTUNITY
• AS HE WAS NOW GOING DOWN, HIS
SLAVES MET HIM, SAYING THAT HIS
SON WAS LIVING.
• BUT THE MAN HAD TO ASK THE
QUESTION
• HE INQUIRED OF THEM THE HOUR
WHEN HE BEGAN TO GET BETTER.
• IF HE HAD NOT ASKED THIS
QUESTION… MIRACLE MIGHT NOT
HAVE BEEN CONFIRMED
• THE ROYAL OFFICIAL WAS LOOKING
TO HAVE THIS MIRACLE CONFIRMED
• WHEN THEY TOLD HIM THE BOY
WAS HEALED
• “YESTERDAY AT THE SEVENTH HOUR
• THIS PROVIDED CONFIRMATION OF
THE MIRACLE….
• JOHN SAYS;
• SO THE FATHER KNEW THAT IT
WAS AT THAT HOUR IN WHICH
JESUS SAID TO HIM, “YOUR SON
LIVES”
• THE ROYAL OFFICIAL HAD
TRUSTED JESUS WORDS
• WITHOUT SEEING SIGNS AND
WONDERS
• AND THOSE WORDS HAD
COME TRUE
• AND THEN WE SEE…
THE RESULT OF THE MIRACLE
• AND HE HIMSELF BELIEVED AND
HIS WHOLE HOUSEHOLD.
• NOW THIS PHRASE HAS A VERY
SPECIFIC MEANING IN THE
BOOK OF ACTS
• IT MEANS THIS MAN AND HIS
HOUSEHOLD BELIEVED IN JESUS
CHRIST AS HIS SAVOIR
• THE RESULT OF THIS MIRACLE WAS
THAT THE ROYAL OFFICIAL
• AND HIS WHOLE HOUSEHOLD
PLACED THEIR FAITH
• IN JESUS CHRIST AS THEIR SAVIOR
• THIS IS WHY I THINK WHEN JESUS SAID;
• “UNLESS YOU PEOPLE SEE SIGNS AND
WONDERS, YOU SIMPLY WILL NOT
BELIEVE.”
• HE WAS NOT TALKING TO THE ROYAL
OFFICIAL
• HE WAS TALKING TO THE PEOPLE OF
GALILEE
• SEE, THE ROYAL OFFICIAL NEVER
SAW SIGNS AND WONDERS
• HE BELIEVED IN THE WORDS JESUS
SPOKE
• AND HE ULTIMATELY BELIEVED IN
CHRIST
• NOT BASED ON SIGNS AND
WONDERS
• BUT ON GOD WORKING IN HIS LIFE
• AND THIS WORK BEING CONFIRMED
AS A MIRACLE….
• I AM SURE WHEN HIS SON GOT SICK
• NO ONE IN THE FAMILY THOUGHT
• THAT THE RESULT WOULD BE
• THE ENTIRE FAMILY COMING TO
FAITH IN CHRIST
• I THINK IT IS LIKELY THAT WHEN THE
SON WAS AT THE POINT OF DEATH
• AND THE FATHER HEADED OFF
CANA OF GALILEE
• NO ONE WAS EXCITED ABOUT IT
• BUT I WANT US TO NOTICE
SOMETHING
• EVERY TIME GOD WORKS IN SOME
ONES LIFE
• THROUGH A MIRACLE, THROUGH
GODS PROVIDENCE
• THROUGH PEOPLE STEPPING UP
AND HELPING THEM
• EVERY TIME THIS HAPPENS….
• SOMETHING HAS HAPPENED
THAT REQUIRED HELP
• WITHOUT THE ROUGH SPOTS IN
LIFE WE WOULD NEVER
• SEE GOD WORKING IN OUR
LIVES
SAMUEL BRENGLE WAS A WORKER
• WITH THE SALVATION ARMY IN
BOSTON MANY YEARS AGO.
• AS HE PASSED BY A SALOON, SOME
MEN THREW A BRICK AT HIS HEAD.
• THEIR AIM WAS GOOD, AND
BRENGLE NEARLY DIED.
• AS IT WAS, HE SPENT EIGHTEEN
MONTHS IN RECOVERY.
• DURING THAT TIME HE WROTE A LITTLE
BOOK ENTITLED HELPS TO HOLINESS.
• THOUSANDS OF COPIES WERE
PUBLISHED.
• AFTER HE WAS ABLE TO BEGIN
PREACHING AGAIN,
• PEOPLE WOULD OFTEN THANK
HIM FOR THE BOOK.
• HE WOULD RESPOND BY SAYING,
“IF THERE HAD BEEN NO LITTLE
BRICK,
• THERE HAD BEEN NO LITTLE
BOOK.”
• SUFFERING AND TRIALS ARE NOT
SOMETHING WE ENJOY
• WHEN WE TAKE THESE THINGS TO
GOD…
• HE CAN AND DOES USE THEM FOR
OUR GOOD
• AND MANY TIMES, OUR FAITH
GROWS IN THE PROCESS
SOMETIMES IN LIFE WE GET
OVERWHELMED BY PROBLEMS
• SOMETIMES WE ARE
OVERWHELMED BY ONE BIG
PROBLEM
• SOMETIMES IT IS A VAST
QUANTITY OF LITTLE PROBLEMS
• MAYBE WE END UP LIKE THAT LITTLE
FISH
• WORRYING THAT WE WILL PRAY
GOD DRY
• THAT HE WILL RUN OUTTA MERCY
AND GRACE…
• IN THESE TIMES WE HAVE FAILED TO
NOTICE
• THAT GOD HAS BEEN WORKING IN
OUR LIVES
• EVERY DAY… IN EVERY WAY… IN
EVERY PROBLEM…
• GOD IS NOT JUST AT WORK IN THE BIG
SIGNS AND WONDERS OF OUR LIFE
• HE IS AT WORK IN EVERY ASPECT OF
EVERYTHING WE DO
• WHEN WE NEED A JOB AND WE GET
ONE HE IS THERE
• WHEN SOMEONE RECOVERS FROM
ILLNESS OR ACCIDENT, HE IS THERE
• WHEN SOMEONE DOES NOT
RECOVER AND WE LOSE A LOVED ONE
• GOD IS THERE… WORKING IN WAYS
WE MAY NOT UNDERSTAND…..
• AND AS GOD WORKS MIRACLES IN
OUR LIVES
• THE BIG AMAZING SIGNS AND
WONDERS
• AS WELL AS THE HIDDEN UNSEEN
MIRACLES
• OUR FAITH SHOULD GROW AND
GROW
• OUR FAITH IN GOD AS CREATOR
• OUR FAITH IN HIS WORD, THE
BIBLE
• OUR FAITH IN JESUS AS SAVOIR
• IT IS FANTASTIC WHEN THIS
FAITH GROWS THROUGH SIGNS
AND WONDERS
• IT IS EVEN MORE AMAZING
WHEN THIS FAITH
• GROWS AS WE TRUST GOD IN
TRIALS
• AND KNOW THAT HE HAS
WORKED IN OUR LIVES
• EVEN WHEN IT WAS NOT DONE
BY AN OBVIOUS SIGN OR
WONDER…..
• THIS FAITH THAT GROWS AS GOD
WORKS IN OUR LIVES
• BEGINS WHEN WE TRUST IN
JESUS CHRIST AS OUR SAVIOR…
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