2nd Sign: From The Foxhole To Genuine Faith, Part 1

Today on Fellowship in the Word pastor Bill Gebhardt challenges you to become a fully functioning follower of Jesus Christ. That's dedicates really is.

They are going to listen to what is going shooting gallantly pretty much it is going to see what you know. So I got Jesus that the romantic are not interested in what he says and Samaritans in the other hand, Ray much that way joining us today on this additional fellowship in the world. Pastor Bill Gebhardt Fellowship in the Words the radio ministry of Fellowship Bible church located in Metairie, Louisiana Pastor Bill Gebhardt now again he shows us how God's word meets our work because by Dwight Eisenhower was commander-in-chief of the Allied forces in World War II and Eisenhower said this, he said there are no atheists in a foxhole when the bullets start in the explosions all around you happen. Many of us in our fear and our panic cry out to God. God get me out of here. If you get me out of here safely, then I'll do this for you or I'll serve you.

The real question though, and the real test of genuine faith doesn't happen in the numbing battlefield really happens when the pressure is off so many of us and have foxhole faith don't have genuine faith at all. Gary Byrd is in his commentary on John. He said that a pastor friend of him revealed to him his own experience. There was a young woman who had a terminal diagnosis and he knew them, but very not very well at all. They were what he called Christmas, Easter Christians, a game twice a year to church so he went to the hospital when he visited her and she challenged him she said to him, if Jesus healed the Bible, then he should be able to do it right now and if he doesn't, what good is he so she had her extended family around her and they all told him her evidence foxhole faith. If God would heal her then will serve so he prayed with the entire family and after he had prayed to his own amazement, he said God healed her completely out the doctors they said were baffled. They didn't understand that at all and up. She was released from the hospital in the very next Sunday after she was released the whole family showed up in church. They were about ready take care of what they had said because guided he order well within four weeks. Only her and her husband were showing up in church, none of the others were showing up in church. Then as time went on, they became more more sporadic and her husband denatured attend church at all. So he saw her in public when he was out doing business and he asked her about and she said to him, she looked at many lines again as I really thought about it. It was all just coincidental. And what I'm saying is her foxhole faith as certainly dimmed right in to total darkness. Foxhole faith is never enough forward to condemning of her, though many of us have foxhole faith, we wonder, God, something terrible is happening our lives we run the God and in the often one ends up happening. We tell God first exactly what we want them to do.

That's the first thing we talked and secondly often set up with it we tell him something like this week we see God.

If you do this then I'll do this.

That is foxhole faith that will never work.

It's not genuine faith at all. And when God does do something he always has something much bigger in mind so I invite you to open your Bibles to John for in verse 43 last week I began a new series. The series is called the seven signs of the son of God and in the seven signs. John does reveal the power of God, but he also reveals the nature of God there very strategic to John last week Jesus turned water into wine at the wedding feast of Cana and what we learned from that is, nothing is too small to go to God with nothing, absolutely nothing. We should never fear to tell God I'm running out of something I'm struggling with something we should go to God with each thing we have like that but we learned some but also for Mary because after she told Jesus that they have no wine. She then said whatever he says do it. That was it.

Whatever he says, you just do it after that. John writes that he went to see Nicodemus Nicodemus is a member of the Sanhedrin. He's a Pharisee of Pharisees. He's that teacher theological teacher biblical teacher for the entire Sanhedrin and he and Jesus have an interesting conversation but nothing more happens, then Jesus decides to go back to Galilee from Jerusalem and he decides to go through Samaria.

He goes through Samaria.

Any meets the woman at the well now the Samaritans yet if you remember the Samaritans are a people that have their own religion, their part Jewish and part pagan after the Assyrian captivity. Some of them came back into the land in a sort of have a compilation of both religions, the Jews, the test I Jewish people, especially Jewish men don't speak the Samaritans Jews don't walk through Samaria.

The drug across the Jordan and go on the east bank all the way up to Galilee and come back in. Jesus decides to go right through Samaria.

Any meets the woman at the well and that woman is not only a Samaritan but she's an immoral woman, and Jesus offers her at the well getting water went you realize that if she goes back into the village and there is a tremendous revival in Samaria of all places. There was no miracles in Samaria, not Jesus and all he did was speak to them and they believed what he said so now Jesus is going through Samaria. It's been two days and is going into Galilee and that's where we sort of pick up.

The way this story works.

It says in verse 43 after the two days he went forth from there into Galilee and then an unusual statement for Jesus himself testified that a prophet has no honor in his own country.

Now I just jumps in there's a lot of possibilities DA Carson, who was a brilliant exegete says there are 10 explanations of this I'm not going to repeat them for you, but the ideas it's little bit difficult to understand why he said that right then why John put it in their but I think if you think about it from a certain point of view.

I think there's something more to say here. He had just come from Samaria and Samaria, all he did was speak the truth. The people and they believed, but he finds out in June and in Galilee, for example, the people aren't interested in the truth they're not interested in what Jesus says they don't honor him as their Messiah.

All and explains it even more in the next verse it says then so when he came to Galilee, the Galileans received him your cell. There is the receiving them. Why having seen all the things that he did in Jerusalem at the feast, for they themselves went to the feast is becoming famous because of what he says no not all because of what he does. You see, that's what is becoming famous for.

You gotta come and see Jesus discuss America work. This is really important, but something you understand when you look at all the Gospels and read all about the miracles, the miracles that Jesus Christ provided people to look at were all designed for the same reason to authenticate who he was, so that they would listen to what he says. In other words that's the point of the miracle in authenticate so he is the son of God but they are then to listen to what he says will and shooting Galilee pretty much just want to see what he can do and also like after Jesus fed 5000 me there only interest is getting a meal not interested in what he says that all the Samaritans and the other hand were very much.

That way, so after he goes through that. He says therefore he came again to Cana in Galilee, where he had made the water wine. And there was a Royal official who son was sick at Capernaum.

He comes back today the cane again enters a man who has a son who is sick and Capernaum Capernaum is 18 miles northeast of Cana.

It's a six hour walk that become important later or to our chariot ride. That's how close he is, but we know something about this man what it says here with this man is the one thing for sure that we know about them is that he is as he says right here he is in a sense, a Royal official know what that really means is in imminent to a sense of it is that he is a person of the court of Herod Antipas and Herod Antipas, the son of Herod the great is Amanda had John the Baptist beheaded this guy as a Royal official is basilica losses. The word has tremendous influence, he would be very likely have tremendous power and extreme wealth is he Jewish or Gentile. Some would say Jewish and some would say Gentile because we don't know if he is Jewish. Though the story becomes ironic because if he is Julie's. He certainly is Agassi any man in his position MBS Agassi is not a Pharisee and if he is the Sadducees Sadducees. Don't believe the God ever interferes in the affairs of man ever. So why is this guy sick and Jesus Jesus Agassi tells you a little bit what happens with the desperation that all of us face from time to time in our lives.

This is a desperate man. He said when he heard that Jesus had come out of got Judah into Galilee, he went to him, imploring him to come down here with son, for he was at the point of death.

There's this desperation which interesting is all these terms, imploring him to come down and heal are all imperative moods in the Greek and other words he's commanding Jesus. This is how God gives us commands and New Testament.

I'm commanding you, you need to calm down. You see, I'm telling you you need to come down and heal my son. That's the way this should be done. That's what foxhole faith always does. If you're in a foxhole in your giving faith.

You always tell God specifically what you want him to do because that's what foxhole faith is I'm facing something very tragic and I want God to do something.

In fact I wanted to do exactly what I want him to do. He sets the conditions the contract that with Mary last week when Mercy whatever he says do it. What were conditions not that's faith that's not what he NCS foxhole faith is he's telling Jesus exactly what it is that he needs to do and it's all because her son is the point of death. So Jesus said to him, and everyone else to get here unless you people see signs and wonders, you simply will not believe the only time he uses wonders and John you people is you all is this pupil Jesus said this is the problem unless you see signs and wonders, you won't believe.

In other words only ever have foxhole faith. That's all that you have no matter what ends up happening. The Royal official said to him, sir, come down before my child dies come down is imperative you have to come means down because Capernaum is on the Sea of Galilee, the Sea of Galilee, 700 feet below sea level, which is really low considering were at sea level 700 feet. So no matter how you go to the seagull you're going down because as mountains around that city city one in the event any idea if this child is interesting. It really means that the Greek order to use there is little one.

It's mail my little boy is dying so you can see this man's desperation. You have a little boy was dying how desperate you Jim try to make deals with God for this got if you do this and I'll do this type of thing with the whole story changes right now. Jesus said to him, go to imperative summers.

Put yourself in a guy's place you've already figured out how God's work in a situation right. He needs to come down. He needs to find her son and he needs to heal yourself. Jesus is go summers is that good news may be right anything about your point of view. Certainly, from his point of view this is a moment of truth being offered right now the prayer is going to be offered in Cana answers going to be done and Capernaum that's the most difficult walk in the world revolved on this. The walk from Canada to Capernaum ever prayed for something you had to wait ever. Yes yes you you're praying for something using a foxhole faith and you want it gone now and you wanted done in this way, and you have to walk but our situation seems a lot different. Yes, Jesus didn't say your son lives to us to see what he did say Paul wrote in Romans 828 all things work together for good to those who love Jesus. That's what he said and what does he mean when he says all things work together for good to those who love Jesus. One thing all things. That's what Jesus said so Jesus tells you you may not see go to Capernaum. But in a sense, he is all things work together for your good. You've prayed all things work together for your good how you feel but you see, do you exercise genuine faith when he stood in no sort of in a sense Scripture had said just on the how this is going to work at all.

See, I don't know if I may get what I asked for. I don't I don't know if one of the see the goodness say I don't know what when I go to see the good ones you going to answer it. My going to get what I asked for how long will this walk be that I'm on right now could be 18 seconds 18 days 18 months 18 years. It could be you won't even understand the good of the to you in the Lord's presence. That's a long walk is meant, but he already answered it. This all the work for your good. Know what Mary say whatever he says do it. So this is what he says do you miss the way it's going to be know what kind of faith you have when he says that foxhole faith. General entry into this a little bit harder than we thought goes on.

The man believed the word that Jesus just like us Americans. He believed now were moving the genuine wine.

He believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and he started off Brown. He didn't start off because he experienced the miracle he started off because of what Jesus said this is hard for us. We do this all the time you find these kind of stories all through the Bible hold a place here with me for a moment and go with me to second Kings chapter 5 second Kings chapter 5 verse one says no name and captain of the Army of the King of Iran was a great man with his master and highly respected because by him. The Lord had given victory to Iran and the man was a valiant warrior but he was a leper. Now that's about us here is this great warrior famous man has great value is a leper.

I'm guessing it's in the early stages of his leprosy, but he knows in that world. That's a death sentence to him. He will eventually be isolated in leper colonies. He'll likely lose vision digits off his hands and feet. He knows what leprosy is going to bring up. I was good on a verse nine.

So because of that name, and came he said with his horses and his chariots and he stood at the doorway of the house of Elisha whose Elisha is a prophet of the great prophets of God, the successor to Elijah this is Laura I'm the deal with this. I'm going to go to the store I'm going to go and talk to the great prophet of God Elisha how let's get this is why because I don't want to have leprosy and I leper that's his foxhole faith.

I would start the watch what happens.

Elisha sent a messenger to now worse Elisha's amounts as Elisha come and talk to them of the door. No sends a message that here I am, this great warrior know that Ngai doesn't even come talk to me. He send his messenger, and he said go wash in the Jordan seven times in your flesh will be restored to you and you should be going now that Elisha tell him that you got told is the word again. You go ahead and do this you get off of name name and was furious and went away sad and said, behold, I thought he will surely come out to me and stand in call on the name of the Lord is God and wave his hand over the place and cure the leper. I know how this works I've seen on TV guys gotta come out is gotta be right with you. He's gonna wave his hand and calling God in him to get you comfortable never on the radio ministry of fellowship Lord, if you ever miss one of our broadcasting or maybe you just take a listen to the message one more time. Remember the little green website called in one place.com that's one place.com and you can listen the Fellowship in the Word online at that website you will find on with today's broadcast but also many of her previous audio programs as well have Fellowship in the Word we are thinking for those who financially support our ministry and make this broadcast possible.

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