Signs of Grace

Message Transcription

Amen, well, it is good to be with you this morning. It is spring break week for our students, so you'll notice a number of them are gone, but we also have some back. I'm looking at you, buddy. I saw Kathryn around here a minute ago. There she is back there, so we're glad to have some of our own return back to us for this time. We're excited about that. We know this is a busy week, a lot happening in our world, but we are in the midst of a crazy season, a season of stress and trauma of struggle. We're trying to look to the gospel of John to look at this series. I've called signs as we think about what it means to be a follower of Jesus as we look for what do these signs point us toward? You know, last week we looked at a few road signs. I came across a couple more this week. I hope it's OK that I, I show them to you. In fact, one of them was sent to me. This was from our Dear Tracy Horn, she said. I hope no one has to move to dismal hollow road, right? Signs are there to try to direct us, to move us, to point us in the right direction. Maybe you've seen one of these signs on on a journey somewhere diverted traffic, diverted traffic with OK, left or right. Not sure where it's supposed to be diverted.

Or maybe you've seen this next one. This is one that's become more popular in our world today. Heads up across the street, then update your Facebook. Now for our young people, Facebook is this website that your parents are really into and your grandparents, as well as the cool kids say it's totally Gucci. I think I'm using that right. Jeff will have to correct me afterwards, but this one I came across. And of course, this does not apply to me in my family. Maybe it does to you visiting in-laws. You've seen these funny road signs. Long pause anticipation is building slow down. Get there late. All right, road signs are there to direct us to move us in the right direction. And so our hope is as we move through this series of signs, as we look at the signs that John has laid out for us that it will move us in the right direction as well. We begin in week one and chapter one where there are these signs of life. In the beginning was the word and the word creates and the word is still creating effect. We're going to see that again this morning. Next, we looked at Chapter two, the wedding miracle, the sign that happens of Jesus when he's at that wedding in Caen, and that reminder that that Jesus is on time and he transformed and he gives life over and over again. We see we're going to see these themes come up.

If you have your Bible with you this morning, invite you to open over to John Chapter four. That's where we'll spend our time looking at this latest sign. But, you know, like these road signs, sometimes we're we're so familiar with the territory. Maybe you've read the same street drive, the same street every day to work you. You don't see the signs you're so used to traveling in that certain direction that certain way that that signs begin to disappear. Or maybe you just lose the sense of them. I think we're tempted to do that this morning here in John Chapter four, because this sign actually follows maybe one of the most famous interactions that Jesus ever has with another human being, the woman at the Well and Samaria at this incredible conversation takes place and the sign that we're going to see happens just after. But if we're not paying attention, we're going to miss it. She has this conversation with this woman unfolds, Jesus speaks to her directly and honestly, honestly and graciously, so much so that it inspires it transforms her life. In fact, she runs back into town and tells all the townspeople, come, come and see, there's that phrase again, come and see, she says. A man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the messiah? And the crazy thing is they listen to her. And they come out and they meet with Jesus, and John tells us that many Samaritans from that city believed in him because of the woman's testimony, he told me everything I've ever done.

So when the Samaritans came to him, they asked him to stay with them and he stayed there two days and many more believed because of his word. They said to the woman it is no longer because of what you said that we believe for, we have heard for ourselves and we know that this is truly the savior of the world. See, many Samaritans believed because of her own testimony, which was kind of a strange little detail John gives to us because women weren't seen as reliable witnesses, in fact, they couldn't be used as a witness in court. And yet here are this this village hearing from a woman who's out in the middle of the day, and we know there's some implications that come with that, some understanding of who she was that she would be there. And yet she runs back to town and she testifies. And the Samaritans believer. So much so that they follow her out to the well, and after hearing from Jesus, they ask him to stay now. For those of us who know the story again, these are all familiar details. If you don't know the story, I invite you to go back and reread it again this week if you've never read it. But Samaritans and Jews were enemies. They were rivals, Jews did not associate with Samaritans because they were half breeds.

They were mixed up, right? They had married non-Jews and they had this, this religion that was kind of a half truth, most Jews would say. And here Jesus is sitting at a well talking with one and not just one. But now the whole village is gathered around and they say, Would you stay with us for a couple of days? And the crazy thing is, Jesus says yes. And they have these unbelievable conversations. So much so that many believe because of his word, verse 41, again, if you have a Bible with you this morning, you can write it. I just invite you to underline verse 41. Chapter four, verse 41. They believed him because of his word. Because of his word, we're going to come back to that in just a minute. But Jesus now is leaving this territory, in fact, the next story our story opens up in verse forty three, it says after those two days that they had asked Jesus to stay after those two days, Jesus is now leaving for Galilee. And now Jesus himself had pointed out that a prophet has no honour in his own country. You see, this is a proverb. It was an ancient proverb, one that was familiar to Jesus' listeners at the time to certainly to John's readers. In fact, it's recorded in all four of the Gospels. Prophet has no honour in his own country, his own town, his own home.

But Jesus adds, rather, John adds to Jesus words, this little idea this this a. videos, which means his own. It's this root word, eventually, it sounds like a word, doesn't it? It yes. Idiot. Yeah, it's the same route that we get this word, this idea of personal. Now there's a couple of steps to get there. But but it says Jesus went to his own country. It reminds us in chapter one where John tells us that. He was in the world, Jesus, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that to that, which was his videos. His own, but his videos did not receive him. Again, this reminder that those who are closest to Jesus, who should know his videos, his own people, his own country, they should see it, they don't see it, they miss exactly what's happening in front of them. See, Jesus has gone from Judea, his own from Jerusalem, his own out into the countryside, into Samaria, into Galilee, to those who might not be his own. There's this constant struggle we see in John's gospel, do you see? Do you really see what's going on? We're told in verse 45 is Jesus arrives in Galilee, the Galilean welcomed him because they had seen what he had done in Jerusalem. At the Passover Festival, where they had also been there, this reference back to John Chapter two, when Jesus goes to that first Passover and he cleanses the temple and we have this distinction in our minds between how did Jesus own receive him and how do those who wouldn't necessarily be seen as his own, how do they receive him? Do you see? Do you see? When folks see what Jesus is doing, do they do they see what he's actually doing? Once more, he visited Qana in Galilee.

We're told where he had turned the water into wine and there are certain royal official whose son lay sick at Capernaum. And when this man heard that Jesus had arrived in Galilee from Judea, he went to him and he begged him to come and heal his son, who was close to death. Unless you people see signs and wonders, Jesus told him, you will never believe now Jesus has returned back to Kenya back to that same place where the miracle of the water into wine occurred. And he's met by another person in need, only this time it's a royal official from this town down by the sea, down near the border called Capernaum. And we're not told much else about who this man is or his connection. All we know is he heard Jesus was there and he went to see him. We don't know if he's Jew or gentile. In fact, some argue because of his job and because of where he was located, it's most likely he probably was a gentile, but we don't know.

I think John's going to give us another little hint later on. We'll come back to in a minute. All we see is Jesus response. And it's kind of a strange response, isn't it? Come heal my son, please. Unless you people see signs and wonders, Jesus told him, You will never believe. I mean, at first glance, it sounds pretty similar to Jesus response to his mother when his mother says they've run out of wine and Jesus says, Why do you involve me in this woman? Let me go. I would not get away with that one in my house. What we saw was actually it's not a slam, it's not derogatory, that's often how he would engage with women. That was actually a fairly polite one, but also this assertion, OK, I'm not going to be under anybody's thumb. No one's going to control me. You know, some have said, Well, this is a straight rebuke of this man and his request that you just want to see another sign if you don't see a sign, you're not going to believe. Well, let me invite us to pull out our West Texas translation here, because when he says, you remember that's West Texas, you, which is y'all, unless y'all see y'all won't believe again. Some have argued that Jesus is rebuking this man, but we've read the story right. We see Jesus doesn't ignore his request.

He doesn't tell him, No, you don't have faith. Get out of my faith. He doesn't say anything like that. You see if that were the case, if Jesus were just rebuking him, he would have refused his request. But that's not what he does. You see, there are times when Jesus won't do miracles around people, in fact, we're told at some one verse mark Chapter six that he can't. Maybe you remember this passage. Jesus says he could not do any miracles there except lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them. And he was amazed at their lack of faith. I see Jesus was in a community where they lacked faith so much that he could not heal them. Do you remember where he was? Give you a hint, it rhymes with hometown. It's his hometown. He's amazed at their lack of faith in his hometown, so much so he can't do miracles. So here in John Ford, we know if that's what he meant he could have, he could have followed up with that. But that's not, that's not what he's saying. I think it's more akin to how he received his mom, how he spoke to his mother. He's stating a reality that there are some people, unless they see signs and wonders, they're not going to believe. But do you remember Jesus mom's response when he says that? Right, there's probably this pause and look. And then she turns to the servants and says, do whatever he tells you to do.

All right. Undeterred, she knows Jesus can do something about this problem, and so she is not deterred. She continues to believe and trust him. So to this royal official. Undeterred at what Jesus has just said, he says, Sir, come down before my child dies. And Jesus says, go. Your son will live. Now, here's that phrase again. Then the man took Jesus at his word. And he departed. Remember the response to the Samaritans verse 41? They took him at his word, they believed him because of his word. When Jesus speaks, his mother told us, do whatever he tells you to do. Here, like the Samaritans, the outsiders, those who aren't his own, they take him at his word. That's what this official does. Jesus says, go when he goes. He doesn't say, yeah, but Jesus, if you would just come, then it would really work. Instead, he takes them at his word. Jesus says, your son will live and he doesn't say, Really, can I just can you like give me something to? I mean, give me some. He takes him at his word and he leaves. He departs. He goes back home. A powerful example. The sign, I think John is reminding us, Jesus tells the truth. He tells the good and the bad of it. He says some people will not believe unless they see a sign or wonder. Others will believe when they hear.

So where are we church? Where are you? Jesus recognized that some people won't put their faith or trust in him unless they have all kinds of signs and miracles, but what we learn over and over again through the gospel of John is the signs can sometimes be those signs that we just see. So often we don't even pay attention to them anymore, or we get so fixated on the sign that we forget what the sign is pointing us toward. We'll see there's more for us to see in the story, John continues in verse 51, while he was still on his way that his servants met him with the news that his boy was living. And when he inquired as to the time when his son got better, they said to him yesterday at 1:00 in the afternoon, the fever left him. And then the father realized that this was the exact time. At which Jesus has said to him, your son will live. So he and his whole household believed, and this was that second sign Jesus performed after coming from Judea to Galilee while he was still on the way. That's a phrase that's been chasing and haunting me this week while he was still on the way. See, this man heard Jesus word, and he took him at it, and then he departed. He headed home. And I would say unsure of what he would find, but I think he was sure of what he would find because he believed Jesus, but it hadn't happened yet.

While he was still on the way, that's when the servants meet him. And tell him that that promised Jesus made that word, Jesus spoke, it had been fulfilled even down to the moment to the second that he had promised it. Now, I remember a minute ago I told you about John giving us another detail that might clue us in to who this royal official was. Perhaps he was a gentile. Well, I think in here is contained. That clue, the officials response is to believe, but not just him, right? It says he. And his whole household. His whole household, this is the same response that you'll find in acts when you see gentile believers come to know and love and follow Jesus. Right, Cornelius Chapter 10. That Cornelius believed, but not just him, he and his whole household. Or maybe in Act 16, the Philippine jailer, right when that earthquake happens and the jailer is about to plunge a sword into his side because he knows I'm in huge trouble and Paul says, Well, we'll. Not yet. And this conversation takes place and the jailer learns about who this Jesus is, and it's not just the jailer, it's his whole household. His whole household. Now this isn't definitive proof, right? We're not told it's just speculation, but I think it's pretty safe bet. Ah, Jesus transformed another life and not just one, but a whole family.

See, this man took Jesus at his word, he saw the sign, but he also saw the glory that it pointed to the reality of who Jesus really is. And I think John once again is hoping that we will see not just the sign, but what the sign is pointing us toward. You see, I think John might teach us a number of things today, but at least these two things number one, Jesus fulfills his promises. Jesus always fulfills his promises, we can trust Jesus word because this word is powerful, it was their creation. Everything that you have seen came into being by him and through him and for him and to him at his word. You see the word of Jesus. It's powerful. It created back then, it still creates today, and so we ask ourselves each week, do we know the word of Jesus? Do we know his word? Do we believe it? Do we trust it? Do we take Jesus at his word? That's one of the reasons why one of our core values here at Broadway is to pursue God is to pursue the word is to know it and to believe it and to trust it so that we can take it at its word. So if you haven't joined us, we invite you to come to a Bible class. I know some of you thought you were coming today at that time, right, Rob? You thought you were here for Bible class? We're we're an hour ahead, but you can catch that our next week.

Or maybe you want to join up in a small group where we gather around God's word together and we wrestle and we struggle with why? Because we want to take Jesus at his word because we know his word is powerful. It's life creating. And he makes a promise to us, and he fulfills that promise. So maybe this Lenten season, the invitation for you is to jump back into God's word again. Maybe the sign is to remind you to to push you back to looking at what am I really seeing? Is it just a list of rules? Or am I seeing the life that's pointed to through the word of God? You see, Jesus not only fulfills his promises, but as we see in this story, Jesus gives us life. Jesus gives us life like he did to that wedding party in Kenya or to this town of Sekar and Samaria, or to this official son and Capernaum. Jesus is the bringer of life. He's the one who can bring life back to your marriage. Restore hope. To help build intimacy, Jesus can bring life to your family. He can heal those broken relationships. He can help you rebuild trust. Jesus is the bringer of life to your work that he can renew your passion and your vision that what you're doing with your time every day.

It's not just a small thing, but it's an opportunity to partner with him in reconnecting rebuilding. Reconciling the world back to God, Jesus is the one who can bring life to your life. He can help you heal the hurts and the habits and the hang ups, as our friends at S.R. have taught us over and over again. He's the one who can renew us from the inside out. You see, we live in a world that's that operates by this idea. Seeing is believing. And in fact, most of my life, I'd put myself in that same camp, in fact, there's probably still a lot of my life that I'm in that camp seeing is believe it, if you want me to believe it, then show me. I don't think John would agree with that or maybe not fully agree with that. You see, I don't think seeing is always believing after Jesus was crucified and resurrected, some of his disciples had gathered together and Jesus appeared. He reappeared to them, and it was incredible. In fact, they went back to the house and they told all those who weren't around. You'll never believe we found them as we have seen him. And do you remember Thomas's response, right? Thomas, one of the disciples, one of the 12 one who has followed Jesus for three years. And he says unless I stick my finger in the nail holes, unless I take my hand and put it in his side, I will not believe.

Right, because seeing is believing. Right. Seeing is believing. And Thomas gets his chance a week later. They're back in the house and Jesus appears. And he doesn't pull Thomas off to the side and just chew them out for his lack of. What is your problem, man? Who do you think you are? How could you do that? And there are times in my life where I have shades of this, my son was playing baseball yesterday and their team didn't achieve the the outcome that their coach wanted, and so he pulled them aside and all I could see was standing behind and he's going. Right. Why was he encouraging them? Hey, I love you guys, you're the best. Right. No, there's there's a word being preached there that's not the same word that Jesus preaches here. Instead, he says Thomas here. Take your finger. Put it here. Take your hand. Put it here. Stopped out. Leave. Belief. Thomas said to him, I thought. My God. And Jesus says. Because you have seen me, you have believed. Blessed are those. We've not seen. And believe. Plus, there are those who will not be in this room who will not ever have the chance to put their finger in the nail hole to put their hand in Jesus side. And believe. Ceausescu and me. This is a word spoken centuries ago about you and I. You see, John and Jesus understood seeing is not believing, seeing is seen.

Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believed. You see, I see signs of grace all throughout the story. All throughout this story, this reminder that Jesus continues to go out. He could have just stayed with his own with his videos. He could have just gathered his little bubble around him and stayed safe, but he doesn't. He goes out into these unknown territories and lands to people who are not his own to proclaim this gospel of grace. And we see it's powerful. It changes lives, families, futures. We see signs of this, grace, that's just dripping when this man who doesn't know Jesus, he knows about Jesus and he hears Jesus is there and he runs to him with a problem refusing to give up. And Jesus says, Go, your son will live. And not only does he live when he finds out how this miracle happened, it happened in the right moment at the right time, right? This grace that Jesus gives is right on time. Always. But we also see this incredible grace that's handed down to people like Thomas and Carl, who sometimes get tricked into believing that seeing is believing if I can't stick my finger in the hole or my hand in the side, how could it possibly be true? And John says, well, let's take him at his word. Let's let's follow the example of this man, and when Jesus says, go, you go.

And when Jesus says fill that jar up with water, you fill it up with water. And not just a little bit all the way to the brim. You see, because sometimes seeing isn't believing. So I think the sign is is pointing us to this grace, this grace upon grace, because Jesus always fulfills this promise. And Jesus always gives life. Oh, God, may that be true for us this this week? As I know, we will encounter some really overwhelming obstacles got some of us are going to face challenges in relationships or some of us got to right there in the midst of them even now. Got some of us are going to face trials and challenges at work, or maybe we're in one right now. For some of us, it'll be at school. For some of us, it'll be some other circumstance or or some other situation. I mean, you hear that voice in the back of our mind, this is going to tempt us to believe seeing is believing. Oh, God, would you speak to us in those moments, those holy moments remind us. A blessing of those who believe and haven't yet seen it. Listen to those who take you at your word. That's your way of life is truly the way to the life that is truly life. Gabby, we to be a church known for taking you at your word. That when we see these amazing signs unfold, this reminds us of the grace that flows so freely.

Can we? May we be the people who have eyes to see and ears to hear, not just the sign, but but what it's pointing us to? To a messiah, Jesus. And Lord, for any of us that are here today, that just struggle with doubt. Who wrestle with it? With uncertainty. Oh, God, would you fill them with comfort and peace knowing they stand in a long line of doubters? But had that never that never stops you from using us. From impacting our lives. I can't help but think of the end of Matthew's gospel. As he calls all of his believers around him after he's resurrected and he sends them out on this great commission gathered even then, some believed and some doubted. And your response was not to yell and scream or threaten or demean. But you invited him go right along with them. You go, you d'autres, you go. And you make disciples. So God, will we be a church that takes you at your word, just like this royal official? This trusting that on the way, God, you're going to meet us. We don't know exactly where and when, but we're just confident it will happen. Oh, God, would you meet us this week, this day? Would you help us to live into these promises into these signs? Into the life that's truly life. Thank you, father, for Jesus. We pray in his name. Amen.