Starting Home
John 4:43-54

Key Points:

• We are to raise the bar of our expectation!
  
  • It is temporal rather than eternal
    
• We are to raise the bar of our faith!
  
  • We demand signs and wonders
    
• We are to raise the bar, grow in the knowledge of God, His Divine character!
  
  • He is compassionate

A Royal Decree!

• All of Jesus’ words are to be taken with the same confidence!
  
  • a royal decree is given!
    
• The context of this story:
  
  • Following the rejection of the Kingdom of God in Nazareth
    
  • Following the acceptance of the Gospel by the Samaritans.
• Jesus’ exhortation:
  
  • Jesus is clear concerning His purpose
    
  • He centers on the temporary demands of the Jews rather than the eternal needs of the Kingdom.
    
• The nobleman also did not understand.
  
  • He was a person of significance in a worldly measure but of no real significance with eternal Kingdom, life and death issues.
• The noblemen represents:
  
  • The Jewish people
    
  • Their subjugation to Rome
    
  • The worldly systems and exposes these systems uselessness in serious and eternal issues of life.
    
• Jesus’ response:
  
  • An expression of compassion and a prophetic picture of the Word proclaimed by His life, death and resurrection.

The Weakness of His Faith

• The father was a nobleman, yet the son was sick.
  
  • Honors and titles are no security from sickness and death.
    
  • The greatest men must go to God, must become beggars.
• The nobleman did not stop from his request until he prevailed.
  
  • He first discovered the weakness of his faith in the power of Christ.
    
  • It is hard to persuade ourselves that the distance of time and place, are no hindrance to the knowledge, mercy, and power of our Lord Jesus.

Jesus Answer of Peace

• Christ’s saying that the soul lives, makes it alive.
  
• The father went his way, a sincerity of faith.
  
• His servants met him with the news of recovery.
  
  • Good news will meet those that hope in God’s word.
    
• Diligent comparing the works of Jesus with his word
  
  • It will confirm our faith
    
  • It can result in the salvation of the entire family
    
• An experience of the power of one word of Christ, may settle the authority of Christ in the soul.

Believe Jesus and start home!

• Are you afraid?
  
• Are you weary?
  
• Are you lonely?
  
• Have you failed?
  
• Do you worry?

Sam’s Source
John 4:3-42 NLT

Ministry in Samaria

• Jesus exposes the real need
  
  • Sam is incredulous and argumentative
    
• He offers the real remedy
  
  • Sam continues to be unbelieving
• He exposes the deceptions
  
  • Again she is unbelieving but humbled
    
• He offers the truth
  
  • Sam reacted with great hope and faith!
    
  • Revival broke out in Samaria

From Weakness & Confusion to Hope

• Sam had settled in her religion, she had quit looking – she was hopeless
  
• Sam thought the real truth could not be known – she was agnostic
  
• Sam was trying to justify or reinforce her beliefs – she was religious
  
• Sam tried to push through her confusion with greater arrogance – she was proud

Jesus Addressed the Layers Surrounding Her Weakness

• Weary in Shame
  
• Wicked in Sin
  
• Wounded in Situations
  
• Weakness in Self

Jesus Addressed the Confusion Surrounding Her Religion

• Vss 19 – 20
  
• Samaritan History
  
• Syncretic Religions
  
• Israelite History
  
• Isaiah 44:13-20 (God’s sarcasm)

The Things Which Make For Peace

He is risen!
Mark 16:1-6

The Resurrection

• The affirmation of God’s provision for our redemption
  
• The justification of Jesus’ sacrifice made for our sin against God
  
• The promise, the first fruit, of our own resurrection
  
• The beginning of the restoration of all things

I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel.
Genesis 3:15

Fear not!
Fear is the dark room where negatives are developed.

Ephesians 3:12
NIV “In Christ we can come before God with freedom and without fear. We can do this through faith in Christ.”
Message “When we trust in him, we’re free to say whatever needs to be said, bold to go wherever we need to go.”

Three Decisions “which make for peace”

• Accept God’s love for you
  
  • I John 4:18 “Where God’s love is, there is no fear because God’s perfect love drives out fear”
    
  • Our deepest need in life is to feel absolutely, totally, unconditionally loved
    • not for something we could be or should be, but loved just as we are.
      
  • We were created just so he can love us.
• Believe that Jesus died and rose for you!
  
  • It’s one thing to believe about something; it’s another thing to believe in something.
    
  • Hebrews 2:14-15 NLT “Only as a human being could he die, and only by dying could he break the power of the devil, who had the power of death. Only in this way could he set free all who have lived their lives as slaves to the fear of dying.”
    
  • When you believe what Jesus says about the future is true, then you can stop being afraid of death.
• Commit your fears and your life to Christ
  
  • Part of the reason so many people are so scared today is that they’ve placed their trust in the wrong things.
    
  • I Peter 3:14-15 Good News “Don’t be afraid of anyone and don’t worry, but have reverence for Christ in your heart and honor him as Lord”

Here He Comes!
Mark 11:1-11

Psalm 24
Lift up your heads, O gates!
And be lifted up, O ancient doors,
that the King of glory may come in.
Who is this King of glory?  
The Lord, strong and mighty,
the Lord, mighty in battle!
Lift up your heads, O gates!
And lift them up, O ancient doors,
that the King of glory may come in.
Who is this King of glory?
The Lord of hosts,  he is the King of glory!

Fear not!

Fear is the dark room where negatives are developed.

Ephesians 3:12
Message “When we trust in him, we’re free to say whatever needs to be said, bold to go wherever we need to go.”
NIV “In Christ we can come before God with freedom and without fear. We can do this through faith in Christ.”

Jesus’ Solution

• Like a long train on the tracks to destruction, the human race is racing towards her demise.
  
• Man’s need has continued to become more obvious as time moves forward.
  
• The revelation of need in the heart of a person creates anguish and fear.
  
• Romans 1:16ff Message Without excuse!
  

Jesus’ Clear Purpose
His Predictions (Announcements) of His Death and Resurrection

• Mark 8:31-33
  
  • Jesus taught His disciples about the Kingdom
    
• • Question: “Who do men say that I am”
    
  • Revealed – His is not a Kingdom realized by the natural leadership but by revelation and obedience.
    
  • Jesus was tempted in the wilderness in this very way of thinking to bring salvation.
    
    • provision – persuasion – power
• Mark 9:30-32
  
  • Lesson in Kingdom greatness
    
  • True power is reflected in love and service
    
  • A yielded life lived in service to the living God
    
• Mark 10:32-34
  
  • A lesson that it is not the possession of things but of reality and relationship with God that is reflected in service, “Thy will be done.”

Three Decisions to Help

• Accept God’s love for you
  
  • I John 4:18 “Where God’s love is, there is no fear because God’s perfect love drives out fear”
    
  • Our deepest need in life is to feel absolutely, totally, unconditionally loved ­­­– not for something we could be or should be, but loved just as we are.
    
  • We were created just so he can love us.
• Believe that Jesus died and rose for you!
  
  • It’s one thing to believe about something; it’s another thing to believe in something.
    
  • Hebrews 2:14-15 NLT “Only as a human being could he die, and only by dying could he break the power of the devil, who had the power of death. Only in this way could he set free all who
  • have lived their lives as slaves to the fear of dying.”
    
  • When you believe what Jesus says about the future is true, then you can stop being afraid of death.
• Commit our fears and your life to Christ
  
  • Part of the reason so many people are so scared today is that they’ve placed their trust in the wrong places.
    
  • I Peter 3:14-15 Good News “Don’t be afraid of anyone and don’t worry, but have reverence for Christ in your heart and honor him as Lord”