If you will, open your Bibles with me today to the Gospel of John, Chapter 4. John, Chapter 4. When you've found your place here, if you will, hold that with your finger there in that place and turn Further in the Gospel of John to chapter 20, I want to read two verses from this chapter. John chapter 20, verses 30 and 31.

And many other signs. The word that is translated here, signs, is the same word which is translated miracles. Many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. But these are written, that you might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you might have life through his name.

Now, if you will, go back to John chapter 4, and we're going to begin. I better get my notes. That was a surprise. We're going to begin in John chapter 4 and verse 46. We're going to read to the end of the chapter and we're reading one of the signs, one of the miracles, the recording of one of the miracles in this book, which John did write.

And he told us there in that verse that we might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the son of God. and that believing we might have life, that is eternal life, through his name. As we read through these verses, beginning with verse 46, I want to emphasize five words. And we'll read through the verses and then we'll come back and look at each one of these words individually as they relate to believing that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing we might have life through his name. I want us to see in verse 46 the word nobleman, in verse 47 the word herd, and in verse 49 heir, E-R-E, heir, In verse 50, believed, and then in verse 52, left, left. So let's read, beginning with verse 46.

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, 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.

Then said Jesus unto him, except you see signs and wonders you will not believe. The noble man saith unto him, Sir, come down, ere my child die. Jesus saith unto him, Go thy way, thy son liveth. And the man believed the word which Jesus had spoken unto him, and he went his way. And as he was now going down, his servants met him and 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. So the father knew that it was at the same hour in the which Jesus said unto him, Thy son liveth, and himself believed, and his whole house.

This again, the second miracle that Jesus did when he was come out of Judea into Galilee. The first word I call our attention to is the word nobleman in verse 6, verse 46. So Jesus came again into Cana of Galilee where he made the water wine and there was a certain nobleman whose son was sick of Capernaum.

A nobleman, a certain nobleman, the first thing I want to say is this man was an exception. This man was an exception. You say, why do you say that? Well, if you want to turn with me, I'm going to read a verse in 1 Corinthians chapter 1. And you'll see why I'm saying that this man was an exception. 1 Corinthians chapter 1, verse 26.

The Apostle Paul is writing to believers in Corinth, in the church at Corinth, and he says, for you see your calling, brethren. How that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble are called. This man was an exception. He was a nobleman. And yet the Apostle Paul tells us that not many noble are called.

And what calling is he talking about here? When he says that not many noble are called, You know in the scripture, in the word of God, we know there are two callings. We speak of two callings. One calling is a general call. And that call goes out throughout all the world. Everywhere the gospel is preached, there's a call to come to Christ. The way is open. Look to him and be saved. And no one comes. No one looks.

But there's another call, and it is an effectual call. It is a call that gets the job done, if you please. It is a call that the Apostle Paul writes about in Romans chapter 8, in verse 30, when he said, moreover, whom he did predestinate, them he also called. This calling here. concerns those that God did predestinate. Them he also called, and whom he called, them he also justified, and whom he justified, them he also glorified. But Paul says not many noble are called. This man was called. Do you see why I say he was an exception? Paul didn't say not any noble are called, but he did say not many are called.

The truth is every child of God, every one of us here today who are truly God's children, who've been saved by the grace of God, who have heard that effectual call, received that effectual call, we all are exceptions. And if God hasn't called you, but He does call you, maybe even here this morning, then you too will be an exception. You say, why do you say that, preacher? Why do you say that those who are effectually called are exceptions?

Because our Lord said this. That's why, for His words in Matthew chapter 7, verses 13 and 14, He said, enter you in at the straight gate, for wide is the gate, and broad is the way that leadeth unto destruction, and many there be that go in thereat, because straight is the gate, narrow is the way which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. Few there be that find it. Everyone who God calls by the spirit of God using the gospel of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, the scripture says in James chapter one. Everyone that God effectually calls is an exception.

Now, I hope that all of us here this morning would ask this question. How do I know if I've been called? That's an important question, isn't it? Wouldn't you say? Those that he called, he justified. Them he called, he also justified. Have I been called? How does a person know? How may a person know if he has been called? Well, the Lord Jesus Christ told us in John chapter 10, he said, my sheep hear my voice and they follow me. Are you following Christ? Am I following Christ? You say, what do you mean by that preacher?

I mean, is Christ The one that we live for, the one that we love, to those that believe he is precious. Is he precious to us? Or is Christ the gospel just something we can take or leave, set down, forget about? Or is this something that is all-important, life-absorbing to know Christ, to know God? like the Apostle Paul said, to be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is by the faith of Christ. Is that our desire? Is that our goal? To win Christ? To know Christ? Or is this just something that, well, if I have time, maybe one day I'll be interested in something like that?

Well, no. Those who've been called, we've heard his voice in the gospel. This has been said many times, but it's still so, and I'll say it again today. If the voice, if you only hear the voice of the preacher, you'll go out of this building just like you came in. But if you hear the voice of the good shepherd, if he speaks to you through his word, Through this preacher, through this pot of clay, you've been called. What a blessing. This man was an exception. He was a noble man.

All right, let's look at the second word. The word is heard, the second word. In verse 47, he heard. when he heard that Jesus was come out of Judea into Galilee. Now, what he heard was the truth. Think about that. What did he hear? He heard that Jesus had come out of Judea into Galilee. That was the truth. He heard the truth.

That's not the truth that God uses in saving sinners. I understand that. But a person must hear the truth. I'm just using this to point this out to us. No one is saved by believing or hearing a lie. A person must hear the truth. Hear the truth, not just hear the Voice of the preacher, but as I said just a moment ago, to hear the voice of the good shepherd, to hear the truth. God uses the truth in saving his people.

That's why people say, well, why do you drive all the way over there to that church building? Why don't you, you pass by a number of churches on the way. Why don't you stop in there? Why don't you go there? Why? Because you don't hear the truth every place. You say, what truth must a person hear? Well, first of all, a person must hear the truth of who Jesus Christ is.

Who is he? Is he just a good man that lived? Is he like a philosopher, like Buddha or Muhammad or some of these other men that have lived and have followers today? Is that who he is? Is that who he is? Oh, no. No, he was a good man. He is a good man, but he's a God man. That seems to me that's a fundamental truth that a person must hear. How can you believe in him of whom you have not heard? And a person must hear that Christ is God Almighty manifest in the flesh. And then we must hear something about why he came. Why did he come into this world? What did he accomplish in this world? Well, he came to honor and to do the work which his father gave him to do.

He's called the second man. The first man, Adam, God created, and the first man failed. to do what God commanded him to do. God commanded him not to eat of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, and he disobeyed God. But the last man, the Lord Jesus Christ, he came into this world and obeyed God, perfectly obeyed God. He was able to say unto his father, Father, I finished the work which thou gavest me to do.

Must hear something about who he is. He's God, manifest in the flesh, his work. He went about doing good, the scripture says. What was he doing? In doing good, he was working out a righteousness. A righteousness that allows God to justify the ungodly. You say, well, how does it how does that work? Because of the righteousness of Christ is imputed onto his people. He worked out a perfect righteousness for his people. But the point I'm trying to make, first of all, he had to hear.

Why do we send missionaries? We're so thankful we heard from Lance and Robin this past week and they're back in and lay and hopefully by this time today they're back to their house. But isn't it a privilege to support men who go forth preaching the gospel? Men must hear the gospel. How shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard and how shall they hear without a preacher and how shall they preach except they be sent? Yes. He heard, God chose by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.

Listen to this promise and it's found in Isaiah chapter 55 in verse three, incline your ear and come unto me here, H-E-A-R, here and your souls shall live. And I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David. Come unto me here, and I will make, this is God speaking, I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David.

Now we know the everlasting covenant was made with his people in Christ. In other words, when the everlasting covenant was made, it was God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. And yet he made it with his people, with us, in Christ. He's the head of his body, his church.

And he's promised to make that covenant with us, even the sure mercies of David. Now, when Isaiah lived, David had been dead. His body had been turned back to dust for a number of years. That's not talking about the sure mercies of King David, the father of Solomon, the son of Jesse. That's a name for Christ. He is the son of David. The sure mercies of David.

These are the things that we hear about in this everlasting covenant. What are they? Well, there's too many to mention, but I would think, first of all, there's acceptance. Acceptance. That's one of the mercies, to be accepted with God. Forgiven of our sins. Forgiven. Adoption. To be a child of God. promise of the Holy Spirit, our bodies becoming temples of the Holy Spirit, Him living in us, these sure mercies of David. Incline your ear and come unto me here, and I and your soul shall live. Men must hear the truth, the truth as it is in Christ. You say, well, you've told us who he is. You've told us something about what he did when he was here.

He lived a perfect life. He died a substitutionary death on the cross. Where is he now? Where is he now? He's on the throne. He's on the throne. And that throne is now called the throne of God and of the Lamb. Yes, that's where He is on the throne, and nothing, nothing moves in this world. In all of creation, nothing moves without His direction and permission. He's King of kings and Lord of lords. God has set Him upon His holy hill of Zion. And he's going to be there until all of his enemies are made his footstool, all who will not submit to the Lord Jesus Christ.

Well, here's the third thing. The third word is that word ere, E-R-E. And here I'm saying this man had a need. So first of all, this man was an exception. He was a nobleman. Second, this man heard, have to hear. And third, he had a need. He had a need.

Now this is God's way, almost always, if not always, in making his people willing to come to Christ. Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power. God causes us to have a need, a need. God always, listen, God always kills, slays before he makes alive. God always strips before he clothes. He brings in the experience of salvation, he brings men and women, boys and girls that he saves to know they have a need. And God does that by humbling us, bringing us down.

Think about Saul of Tarsus. I assume he's riding a horse. He's on his way to Damascus. Now, do you think as long as he was on that horse, He was ever going to say, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? No, no. But it was when he was brought down into the dirt when he prayed and said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? The same way as illustrated in our Lord's parable concerning the prodigal son. He asked for his inheritance, his father, gave that part which would be his, and he takes off.

He's living it up. Music, wine, dancing. He's got it all. You think he's going to come to himself? No, not at all. It's only after everything, the money and all that's gone, and he's in a hog pen, trying to fill his empty stomach with the husk that he was given to feed the hogs, that he comes to himself.

What are we seeing here? We're seeing how that God brings a person down. Gotta go down before you're lifted up. This man that came to our Lord, this noble man, an exception, yes, and the only reason that he came that day to Christ, he had a need. You see, I would imagine in Houston, Texas today, in the various hospitals, there are many fathers who have sons that are sick and maybe close to death, but they're not, they haven't come to Christ. It's not just having a need. Many people have a need. They don't know they have a need. But it is God working in a person's heart so that, yes, in need he realizes that he needs Christ. He needs God. A person must be lost before he is saved.

You've heard me speak of Rolf Barnard many times over the years. He was quite a preacher. Brother Henry Mahan referred to him as John the Baptist. I heard Brother Mahan preach his funeral and he said he was the bravest man I ever knew. But he was preaching and I heard it was North Carolina one day and Lady he was speaking with, he asked her, he said, well, how long have you known the Lord? She said, oh, I've always known him. He said, honey. That's the way he talked, wasn't it, Pat? Honey? That's too long. You've always been saved? No, no. No. No! A person must be lost first.

One man said a sinner is a sacred thing. The Holy Ghost hath made him one. And that doesn't mean that the Holy Ghost has made us sinners, but it is the Holy Ghost, the Spirit of God, that makes a man know, I'm a sinner. I'm a sinner, a double-died sinner, which simply means I cannot save myself. I cannot help myself. I can't give myself life. I'm dead in trespasses and sins. I need spiritual life. I cannot give myself life. I need a new heart. I've got a heart of stone. I need a heart of flesh on which God writes his law. I can't give myself that heart. I need.

What did God? People would recognize that God would bless the preaching of his gospel in this country, and people would realize what Terrible, awful shape man is in. How much we need God. Well, here's the fourth thing, the word believed. Verse 50, Jesus saith unto him, go thy way, thy son liveth. And this man believed the word that Jesus had spoken unto him. Now, when this man first came to the Lord, he thought, evidently, he was under the opinion, yes, Jesus, the Lord Jesus, he can heal my son, but he has to come home with me. He has to come to my house. My son is at my house. He must come to my house. And that's the reason he said, come, come home with me.

He didn't have great faith. Look with me, if you will, in Matthew's gospel, just a moment. Matthew chapter eight, our Lord tells about another man, a centurion who had great faith. In Matthew chapter 8 and beginning with verse 5. When Jesus was entered into Capernaum, there came unto him a centurion beseeching him and saying, Lord, my servant lieth at home sick of the palsy, grievously tormented. And Jesus saith unto him, I will come and heal him.

The centurion answered and said, Lord, I'm not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof. I'm not worthy. He had a need. Part of his need is he realized he wasn't worthy of Christ. He wasn't worthy. We don't come because you're worthy. He said, Lord, I'm not worthy that you come under my roof, but speak the word.

That's all that's needed. I know who you are. I know you have authority. Just speak the word. He said, I'm a man, and I have people under me, and I say to this man, go, and he goes, and I say to this man, come, and he comes. I understand how that is, and I know that you have authority over all things. Just speak the word. You don't need to come to my house. I'm not worthy that you come into my house.

You know what our Lord said down in verse Further down in this passage here, verse 10, when Jesus heard it, he marveled and said to them that followed, verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel. This man had great faith. This man we'll read about here in Matthew. His faith was demonstrated in recognizing that all the Lord had to do was just speak the word. man in our parable, this noble man, or in our passage in John 4, this noble man, he didn't have great faith. And I point this out to us for a very important reason.

It's not your faith that saves you. It's not my faith. No, Christ is the Savior. Christ is the one who died in our place, in our state. Christ is the one who shed his blood, which has a power to remove sin. It's not your faith or my faith. It's the object of our faith. It's the object of our faith.

And I wrote this down, there is always in the greatest faith, Imperfection to some degree. No believer in this world has perfect faith. Abraham, he is given to us as an example of a man who had faith, great faith, but yet we know his faith wavered too at times, didn't it? When he asked Sarah, Say, don't tell these people, don't tell this man you're my wife. Tell him you're my sister. That didn't show great faith, did it? Oh yeah, he had faith, but what I'm saying is it's not our faith. This man had faith, wasn't great faith, but the healing power is not in this man's faith, it's in the Savior, in Christ.

In the Old Testament, God gave many examples or pictures of the work of the Lord Jesus Christ by sacrificing animals. And this is what he said in the book of Leviticus. When a man brings an offering, an animal, let's say he brings a lamb, it must be perfect to be accepted. It must be perfect. Don't bring a lame lamb. Don't bring a lamb that's blind in one eye.

It must be perfect to be accepted. Why? Why was that in the law? Because the sacrifice, the THE sacrifice, the ONE sacrifice that puts away sin had to be offered by Him. who is perfect, the Lord Jesus Christ. It must be perfect to be accepted. The righteousness that a sinner needs, the righteousness that I need, the righteousness that you need to be just with God, it must be perfect. It must be perfect. Isn't it wonderful today, if you know Christ as your Lord and Savior, as you sit here in this building to know that you are accepted in Him. Accepted in Him. Complete in Him.

Well, one other word here, the fifth word, is the word left, L-E-F-T, left, in verse 52. A man meets his servants on the way home and he began to asked them, or he asked them, he asked his servants, verse 51, and as he was going down, his servants met him and told him, saying, Thy son liveth. Then inquired he of them the hour when he began to amend. And they said unto him, Yesterday he began to amend. No. No, no, no. He didn't begin to amend. The fever left him when Christ spoke the word. Thy son liveth. In the word of a king, there's power. And he is a king of kings. And when he spoke, thy son liveth, his servant said. Oh, he didn't begin to amend. No, the fever left him.

And I bring this out to point out that that word amend is an interesting word in this context, isn't it? Because many times when a person feels some conviction for sin, the first thing he thinks, she thinks, I've got to amend my life. I've got to change some things. I've got to quit doing some things. I've got to start doing some, I need to amend my life. No, you don't need to amend your life.

You need to repent of your sins and believe. on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved. We have an example. I won't take you there for the time, but you know the story of that jailer of Philippi. When he asked Paul and Silas, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? Well, you need to end your life. No. You need to start going to church. The question is, what must I do to be saved? Not what must I do to become a better neighbor, a better citizen, just a better guy to be around. No, I'm interested in being saved. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved.

And do you know, you read that story there, in just a few hours, he's got Paul and Silas at his house. He's feeding them. It wasn't long before Paul or Silas, one of them, baptized this man. He didn't have to go through a catechism class and learn all kinds of doctrine and all of that.

No! Believe. This man in this miracle believed, and I can say this morning to all of us here today, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. You might be saved. No, I'm not gonna say that. Thou shalt be saved. You could have come in this building this morning lost as a goose in a snowstorm. I walk out of this building today by the grace of God, saved, saved. Amen. Okay, we're going to sing a hymn before we're dismissed.