Sunday, November 8, 2020 ~ The Book Of John ~ Series: LOVED BY JESUS ~ Message: The Boundless ~ Scripture: John 4:43-54 ESV ~ Pastor Philip Miller
Image: “Jesus Healing the Son of an Officer” by Joseph-Marie Vien, 1752
WELCOME
Sunday, November 8, 2020
The Book Of John
Series: LOVED BY JESUS
Message: The Boundless
Scripture: John 4:43–54 ESV
Pastor Philip Miller
Scripture Reading Psalm 150 ESV
Let Everything Praise the Lord
150 Praise the Lord!
Praise God in his sanctuary;
praise him in his mighty heavens!
2
Praise him for his mighty deeds;
praise him according to his excellent greatness!
3
Praise him with trumpet sound;
praise him with lute and harp!
4
Praise him with tambourine and dance;
praise him with strings and pipe!
5
Praise him with sounding cymbals;
praise him with loud clashing cymbals!
6
Let everything that has breath praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord!
Jesus is always surprising us. He doesn’t fit neatly into our preconceived human categories – he's always challenging our assumptions, always realigning our expectations, and always defying our limitations. Just when we think we have him all figured out, he comes along and blows the doors off our limited understanding. That’s one of the ways we know we’re encountering the living and divine Jesus. If Jesus is God in the flesh, he should surprise us. We know we’ve created god in our own image when he begins to look suspiciously like us and when he no longer surprises our souls. But with Jesus, we never have that problem. In this passage from John 4:43-54, we experience four surprises about Jesus. 1) Surprising Rebuke: When Jesus enters Galilee, the crowd welcomes him in an odd way. Then an official asks Jesus to heal his son. Jesus’ response: unless you see signs and wonders, you will not believe. Jesus is not a circus performer, and the crowd exhibits no real faith or belief. There’s a huge difference between pursuing Jesus to get him, and pursuing Jesus to get his stuff. The rebuke is a warning about how to approach Jesus in a real way. 2) Surprising Faith: The official understands the rebuke, and he exhibits real faith and real honor. He believes Jesus and heads home, expecting to find his son healed. He didn’t believe in just the signs and wonders, he believed and trusted in the words of Jesus. That's a surprising faith that Jesus rewards. 3) Surprising Healing: When the official arrives home, he finds his son healed. Jesus didn’t need to show up in person to heal, because he could supernaturally heal the boy from afar. 4) Surprising Healer: The story teaches us that Jesus is wielding the power of the messianic age. So, when Jesus heals, it’s more than just a demonstration of power, it’s a sign pointing to his identity as Messiah come to usher in the Kingdom of God. Jesus is ultimately exercising authority as the Son of God. He is demonstrating his omnipresence, omniscience, and omnipotence. How should we respond to all of this? Here’s our three big takeaways. -Jesus is near: No matter where you go, Jesus is near and always with you. -Jesus is wise: He knows everything there is to know about us. -Jesus is able: There is no problem in our lives that Jesus cannot overcome. When we recognize who Jesus is and what He offers us, our response should be to admit our need for him, believe in his name, and commit our lives to him.
The Book Of John
Series: LOVED BY JESUS
Message: The Boundless: Jesus Surprises Us
Scripture: John 4:43–54 ESV
Pastor Philip Miller
Message: The Boundless
Sunday, November 8, 2020
^Videos by Inspirational>1...
“A Mighty Fortress Is Our God” Martin Luther 1529
Sunday, November 8, 2020
The Book Of John
Series: LOVED BY JESUS
Message: The Boundless
Scripture: John 4:43-54 ESV
Pastor Philip Miller
SERMON NOTES
The Book Of John
Series: LOVED BY JESUS
Message: The Boundless
Scripture: John 4:43–54 ESV
Pastor Philip Miller
Message: The Boundless
Sunday, November 8, 2020
^Videos by Inspirational>1...
Audio: John 4 ESV
Surprising Rebuke (vs. 43–49)
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.
Jesus Heals an Official's Son
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.”
Surprising Faith (vs. 49–50)
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.
Surprising Healing (vs. 51–53)
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.
Surprising Healer (v. 54)
54 This was now the second sign that Jesus did when he had come from Judea to Galilee.
• Jesus’ boundless presence: Omnipresence Takeaway: Jesus is near.
• Jesus’ boundless knowledge: Omniscience Takeaway: Jesus is wise.
• Jesus’ boundless power: Omnipotence Takeaway: Jesus is able.
Come, behold the works of the Lord,
how he has brought desolations on the earth.
He makes wars cease to the end of the earth; he breaks the bow and shatters the spear; he burns the chariots with fire.
Philip Miller Senior Pastor
“Be still, and know that I am God.
I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!”
The Lord of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.
You are loved, more than you know!
Pastor Philip
There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy habitation of the Most High.
God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved; God will help her when morning dawns.
The nations rage, the kingdoms totter; he utters his voice, the earth melts.
The Lord of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah
God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea,
though its waters roar and foam,
though the mountains tremble at its swelling. Selah
PASTOR TO PEOPLE
In this very tumultuous moment, Psalm 46 reminds us what is solid: