Bibles again and turn with me
to the gospel according to John chapter 4. John chapter 4. I'd like to continue in our study
of this blessed book and pick up in verse 46. And we'll try to go through the
end of the chapter. You know, we never read the Holy Scriptures except that we
see and behold the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ. If we see
not Him, if we don't see His will and His purpose and His
work. If we don't see man's need, man's
depravity, God's mercy and grace to sinners. If we don't see God's
honor, then we haven't seen the Scriptures are right. We miss. Now, we're going to deal It's
an account of the healing of a nobleman's son and the honor
of the Lord Jesus Christ in that blessed healing. Let's pick up
in verse 46. This is where we left off. So
Jesus came again into Cana of Galilee where he made the water
wine. And there was a certain nobleman
whose son was sick at Capernaum. Now, there was one of God's sheep. Well, in
fact, I'll tell you this. Before we get to the end of this
chapter right here, we're going to find out that there was quite
a few. But there were some of those
that Almighty God everlastingly loved. And just like the Scripture
records that he must needs go through Samaria, he came through
this country, Cana, Galilee, on purpose. God does everything. on purpose. And there was, in
our Lord's mercy and grace, there was a certain, the Scripture
says, a certain nobleman. I love when I see that word.
Boy, I'm telling you every time, there was a certain one. There
was a certain, certain nobleman. Take note of that. God's going
to teach something. There was a certain nobleman.
A lot of other noblemen there, I don't doubt. A lot of folks
there. But there was one in particular
that Almighty God was going to cross paths with. A certain nobleman. And our Lord, in mercy and grace
and compassion, caused this certain nobleman's son gets sick. You know, when I hear people
say, you know, the Lord, it's never the Lord's will that anybody
gets sick. Really. So in other words, the God that works all things,
after the counsel of His own will. The One who is Almighty
God in the army of heaven and among the inhabitants of the
earth, the God that all power in heaven
and earth is given unto Him and He doeth whatsoever He's pleased. That's the One, you're saying.
that never makes anybody sick. Well, I beg your pardon. He does all things and does all
things well. And this Scripture sets forth
that a boy was sick. And obviously the reason, as
far as I can perceive in a little bit, this boy to the good of this dad and the
good of his household. You'll find out. God made that
boy sick. Oh, what a blessing when physical
infirmities prove to be to the mercy and the blessing of Almighty
God. David said, It's good that I've
been afflicted. that I might learn of your statutes."
Now, I understand. This goes against our old nature.
I understand that. I understand that man by nature
resists this, and man thinks, well, I tell you, I just believe
God's a good God. He is. And He does all things well.
All things work together for good to them that love God, to
them who are the called according to His purpose. I told you what
old Spurgeon said one time. He said health is a great blessing.
The only greater blessing that he knew of was sickness. Well, the Scripture says in verse
47, when he heard that Jesus was come out of Judea into Galilee,
he went unto him and besought him that he would come down and
heal his son, for he was at the point of death. Now what this father, what that
certain nobleman needed was spiritual life. That's what he needed.
Now as far as he knew, as far as he was concerned, he heard
that Jesus, the Scripture says, was come out of Judea, but just
the very fact that he heard was a miracle of God's grace. That
that man crossed paths with the information that the Lord Jesus
Christ was going to be in the area was a miracle of God's grace. You think about the miracle of
God's grace that caused the hearing to cross your path. that whatever means God was pleased
to use, that He caused your path to cross with the hearing of
the gospel. Oh, I realize, I mean, a lot
of times two people are dating or some circumstance, you know,
whatever, a funeral. He does all these things well.
He knows what He's doing. And this man heard that Jesus
was come out of Judea and he went to Him. Another miracle. He actually moved. Oh, the provenient grace of Almighty
God. that Almighty God would cause
this man to hear and to come, and He besought him that he would
come down and heal his son. His boy was at the point of death.
As far as this man knew, this is what he, this is my need right
here. This is what I need. I need this. No, that wasn't his need. He
needed the Savior. And the Savior moved these things
just exactly the way He's pleased to do it. And He caused this
man to cross paths. And something happened in the
next verse that proves even this very Scripture that says, Him
that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. Now let me ask
you this. Those words right there. He that
cometh to me, I will in no wise cast him out." Is that so or
not? Yes, it is. You know it is. That's
from the mouth of our blessed Savior. And He who says, He that
cometh to me, I will in no wise cast him out. Look at verse 48. This man came to Him and asked
Him about his boy. Come down and heal my sons at
the point of death. Then said Jesus unto him, Except you see
signs and wonders, you will not believe. Wow! Here was a man that came to the
Lord Jesus Christ and asked Him about his boy. Rebuked him. Rebuked him. Oh, but what grace and mercy. Yes, it was rebuke. But the mercy
of God is revealed when Almighty God reveals a man or woman to
be a sinner. To be a rebel against Him. Except
you see signs and wonders you will not believe. You know, that's
just the nature of the old man. That's just what the old man
thinks. That very thing was said by some
scribes and Pharisees to our Lord in Matthew 12, verse 38,
Master, we would see a sign from Thee. Man is dead in trespasses and
sins. And the only thing that man by
nature is concerned about is what he can see with these eyes
right here, what he can feel with this old emotional body
we live in, what he can figure out, what he can perceive. Oh, but that same provenient
grace that caused that man to hear, to come, make a day's journey
from Capernaum to Cana of Galilee. God Almighty, by that predestinating
grace that I talked about earlier, ordained this moment. That moment right there had been
absolutely established in the eternal purpose of God Almighty
in that everlasting covenant of grace Every instant, every,
everything, everything. Sometimes I'll start, I'll just
kind of try to start thinking about how just instances in just
my life or just things that happen, happen to me around here or happen
at the house or happen in town or something like that and how
Almighty God who knows all things and knows the intent of my heart
and the very being of what I'm thinking or doing or not thinking
and should be doing and ordering all these things around for me.
And who am I? Just one maggot in this world. Almighty God is working all of
these things, every event in the weather and in the economy
and in the government and just all of these, everything, everything. And here comes this man. He asked
the Lord. And the Lord just, I mean, just
got to the very heart of it. Bam! He said, you know, except you
see signs and wonders, you will not believe. That man right there, that God
Almighty, had purposed to show grace to, that Almighty God was
going to regenerate in power, and the Lord's will was going
to be done. And even as the Lord sat there
and revealed to him what he really thought, that man didn't tell
him that. The Lord knew who he was talking
to. And even in the midst of that rebuke, Look at verse 49,
"...the nobleman said unto him, Sir..." That word is Lord. It's Lord. "...Sir, come down,
ere my child die." Here's another mark of God's
grace. Those that God is going to show
mercy to will bear under God's reproof. All Scripture is given by inspiration
of God, and it is profitable for correction, for reproof,
for instruction in righteousness. The longsuffering of our Lord,
not willing that any of those that the Father had given Him
in electing grace, not willing that any of them should perish, Just to show you the power and
the grace and the mercy of Almighty God, the Lord Jesus Christ. Make a statement like that to
the Pharisees, those religious hucksters, except you see signs
and wonders you won't believe. Who do you think you are? What do you mean talking to us
like that? You know who we are. Yeah, yeah, he knew. Oh, that smoking flax. He wasn't
quenched. That rebuke was of the same nature
as it was to that Syrophoenician woman. It came to him and begged
for God to show mercy to her little girl. My daughter is grievously
vexed. It's not meat, not fit to take
the children's bread and cast it to dogs. Boy, by nature, we'd look at
that and we'd say, man, how insensitive could anybody be? But oh, I say,
look at the mercy of Almighty God and look at the power of
Almighty God that kept That Father from walking away and refusing
to hear. It's amazing to me you stand
and you tell God's people what they are by nature. Just sole
of the foot, crown of the head, putrefying sores, just worms
and maggots before God Almighty. There's none good, no, not one.
And God's people are just, I mean just absolutely. You're right. I'm with you. I totally agree
with you. You're absolutely right. And
you don't know the half of it. You haven't even scratched the
surface. You don't know me. I tell you,
if any go away and don't hear any more, it's because they didn't
want to. John 6, go back and read John
6, starting about verse 62, 63, you know, and he told them. I'll
just read it to you. John 6, John 65. Therefore, I
said unto you, no man can come unto me except it were given
unto him of my father. And from that time, many of the
disciples went back. Walk no more with them." Then
said Jesus unto the twelve, Will you go away? Simon Peter answered
Him, Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal
life, and we believe and are sure that Thou art that Christ,
the Son of the living God. Jesus answered them, Have not
I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil? Oh, listen. Here's this man who
comes to the Lord Jesus Christ. Ask for mercy. The Lord said,
except you see signs and wonders, you will not believe. And that
nobleman, he wasn't leaving. Sir, come
down. There my child died. Grace, if
any be found to want to hear again. It's by the grace of God. If any leave and say, I'll not
hear that anymore. No, thank you. I'm doing just
fine. I don't need to hear that sovereign
grace stuff anymore. May God have mercy on your soul.
This man stayed. And the Lord said to him in verse
50, Jesus said unto him, Go thy way, thy son Liveth. And the
man believed the word that Jesus had spoken to him, and he went
his way." Two healings took place. Number one, that nobleman was
healed spiritually in regenerating power and grace. How do I know?
Jesus saith unto him, Go thy way, thy son liveth. And the
man believed the word that Jesus had spoken to him. And he followed
Him. He went His way. He did exactly
what the Lord said. He believed Him. That is the greatest miracle
that any man, any woman would believe God. I mean, we talk
about faith in Christ as if that's something that's so easy to do. Anybody can do that. No, they
can't. It's given unto you to believe.
I'm telling you, believing Christ, resting in Christ, hungering
after Christ, thirsting after Christ, a believer knows he struggles
with that. He struggles with it. Lord, I
believe, help Thou mine unbelief. Oh, but this man, the Scripture
says, he believed it. Now, you think about that. That's
your Word. Lord, as you said, that man believed. He heard Him. Faith cometh by
hearing, and hearing by the Word of God. That man heard the voice
of the shepherd. He said, Go thy way, thy son
liveth. And he went. He went. He believed
Him. Man, I tell you, man by nature
says, now wait a minute. I know you mean well. I don't
guess there'd be any way you'd go anyway, would you? He believed
him. Followed him in heart. Oh, the
peace and joy that one has to believe him. That same one that
declared, thy son liveth, says also to his regenerated sheep,
I'm come that they might have life and they might have it more
abundantly. To believe God, just to believe
God. A man and a woman that could
lie down at night and rest. A man and a woman that would
know they were soon to leave this world and just believe God.
That man was spiritually healed and that boy was physically healed.
The Lord said, Thy son liveth. His divinity was proven, the
scripture says, by signs and wonders. Here was the surety
of the sheep of the Lord Jesus Christ. And God Almighty proved
His deity by those things that He did. His Son lived. Verse 51, 52, As He was going
down, His servants met Him, told Him, saying, Thy Son liveth.
Then inquired He of them the hour, when He began to amend.
And they said unto Him, Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever
left Him. You know, some might say, well,
he was just checking up just to make sure. No, I don't think
so. The Scripture says that he believed
the word that Jesus had spoken. He believed it. You know what I see in that?
Tell me again one more time. Tell me again one more time.
When did it happen? Yesterday. Now, I just wanted
to hear it one more time. Tell me one more time how He
has truly put away my guilt. Tell me one more time how He
was made sin. Tell me one more time how I died
in Him. Tell me one more time how He
actually paid the debt that I could never pay. Tell me one more time
how His righteousness robes me. Would you quote Romans 8-1 again
to me just one more time? There is therefore now. There's
therefore now. Can't you hear Brother Scott
say it? Now means now. There's therefore now. No condemnation to them that
be in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after
the Spirit. What is it to walk after the Spirit? I'll tell you
what it is. Here it is. To believe God. That's it. Believe God. Tell me one more time. When did
it happen? The last two verses. So the Father
knew that it was the same hour in which Jesus had centered Him
said unto him, Thy son liveth. And himself believed, and his
whole house." This is again the second miracle that Jesus did
when He was come out of Judea into Galilee. It would be hard for me to imagine how this man could sit and reflect
back on the mercy of Almighty God that caused his boy to get
sick. What a blessing! What a blessing! The Lord caused
you to have some kind of an ailment, some kind of a critical ailment
too. Scripture says he was at the
point of death. But what a blessing that Almighty
God would bring that boy down to the point of almost dying.
caused his daddy to hear that he was going to be in the vicinity
and caused him to come. The Lord was going to show mercy
to this dad. But you know what he caused that dad to do? Ask
him. Ask him. And in asking, he told
that man what he was by nature. Except you see signs and wonders,
you won't believe. And that man in his heart agreed
with him. Yeah. Lord, my boy's going to
die if you don't do something. He said, your son lives. And
this man went home, greeted that boy that was renewed in strength
and Almighty God, was pleased to bless the Word to that man,
to his whole household. Now, I realize that sometimes
he's not pleased to do that. And I bow to that. I pray God
show mercy for my household. God show mercy to my kids, my
grandkids, my brothers and sisters. I pray God show mercy to them. I know this. I know there's one
hope for them. I know there's one hope for them.
That they hear the gospel of God's grace. That's the power
of God unto salvation. There's no other message that
God's going to bless to the salvation of His people. There's no other
message. Every other message that does not proclaim God's
sovereign grace. Saving, electing, predestinating,
choosing God's grace. Every message that does not proclaim
that is a lie. Paul said, if any man, if an
angel in heaven preached any other message than that which
we've proclaimed unto you, let him be accursed. The Gospel is
the power of God unto salvation. I know that's a fact. And I know
that God Almighty is going to save all that He's given Christ
in electing grace. I know that. The Lord Jesus Christ
says, All that the Father giveth me shall come to me, and him
that cometh to me I will in no wise casting. I know that. And I know this. He has instructed
us to ask Him. Now, God was going to show mercy
to this boy through that dad. And the Lord drew him. And when
it's all said and done, all the honor and glory and praise is
going to be unto Him who is worthy of all honor. And it will then
be known in that day, Lord, You've done all things well. Ask Him. Ask Him. Who knows? God may show mercy to one of
your kids. God may show mercy, your parents.
God may show mercy, your wife, your husband. Who knows? Ask
Him. Lord, be merciful. Lord, show
mercy. God, would you save my kids for
Christ's sake? May the Lord bless these words
to our heart. The honor of His blessed Son. Amen.