How To Have Assurance For Our Doubts

Pastor Mike Sanders will be speaking on assurance for your doubts. He will be in John 4:43-54

They mocked Him. They said, if you’re really the King of Kings and you’re the Lord of Lords, come down right now. Come down and we’ll believe in you. The truth is that they just wanted another miracle and that miracle would not have changed their hardened hearts towards God.

Welcome to Hope Worth Having. This is Pastor Mike Sanders, excited about being able to bring you God’s Word today. Today we’re going to be in the Gospel of John, Chapter 4, covering verse 43 through 54.

And today I want to talk to you about assurance for your doubts. You know, truth is all believers have doubts and they wrestle with them. And today I want us to learn as we look into the Gospel of John, Chapter 4, how to have assurance for our doubts.

God does not leave us hanging and He does not want us to drown in our doubts, but rather He wants to lift us out of our doubts and set our feet on a solid rock where we can be confident and assured that Jesus Christ is our Savior and He is the true Messiah.

So let’s grab our Bible, let’s grab our pen, and let’s grab our notes, and let’s start learning together. We have your Bibles this morning. I want you to turn to the Gospel of John, Chapter 4, John Chapter 4, and verse 43 through 54 is our text this morning.

And I thought about as I was going through this text, how that serving Jesus with doubt in your heart is like driving down the road with your brakes on. Man, it’s difficult. It’s hard to make progress.

And certainly all of us desire that we would have stronger faith, and we are very very much like the man who said to Jesus that He believed, but Lord, help my unbelief. Jesus told His disciples, according to your faith, be it unto you.

When you and I have a weak faith, it leads to doubt in our hearts. A strong faith always leads to assurance. We need a faith that is strong. We need a faith that will support us when life is difficult and life is dark.

When we come to our text today, we meet a man who is going through some dark times. He is a desperate man, and He is desperate for a miracle from God. Now, when you read the Gospel of John… told you many weeks ago that there are seven miraculous signs that John the Apostle selects so that he might reveal to us the person of Jesus Christ.

But not only does John select these seven miracles that are scattered throughout the Gospel of John, but to certainly help us to see who Christ is. But he selects these miracles that it might ignite faith in our hearts.

This morning, if you have never trusted Christ as your Savior, it is my desire that you would receive Christ as your Lord and Savior today. If you’re here this morning and you know Christ, it is my desire that your faith would be stronger and that as you read this great miracle that Jesus performs, that you would be strengthened in your faith for the Lord Jesus Christ.

Remember what John taught us at the end of his Gospel in John chapter 20 verse 30 and 31. The Bible says, truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples which were not written in this book, but these are written that you may what?

Believe. That Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name. Let me just say on a side note that if you’re out there trying to win people for Christ, which I hope you are, that you encourage your children, your grandchildren, your co -workers, your neighbors, every person you come in contact with, that if they do not believe in Christ, to read the Gospel of John.

Just challenge them to read the Gospel of John, one chapter a day, and… see, if not by the end of the reading of the Gospel of John, that they truly see that Christ is the Son of God. If you’re new in your faith and this journey of coming to Christ is something that is really a new start for you in your life, I encourage you to dive into the Gospel of John, because I am confident of this, that your assurance that He is the Son of God and your assurance of believing in Him will certainly give you life in His name.

Jesus taught us that there were miracles, there were signs. John says that Jesus performed these signs. They were literally miracles, and these were miracles with a message. God has a message in each of the miracles that John gives us.

these miracles are designed to always point people to God. Miracles are never designed to point people to a person. That’s why when you see these charlatans out there who are saying and claiming to perform some kind of pseudo miracle, who’s getting the glory?

Who’s getting the attention? And if it’s all about that person, you know it’s not from God. When Jesus performed miracles, it was always for the glory of God. And so we read this text and we see that we are now at the second of seven miracles in the Gospel of John.

And as John teaches this miracle, he wants us to believe. He wants us to have assurance for our doubts in our hearts. And so I want you to follow along with me in verse 43 and notice what the Scripture says.

Now after two days he departed thence and he went into Galilee. For Jesus himself testified that a prophet hath no honor in his own country. Then when he was come into Galilee, the Galileans received him, having seen all the things that he did at Jerusalem at the feast.

For they also went unto the feast. This is the Passover. So Jesus came again into Cana of Galilee where he made the water into wine. And there was a certain nobleman whose son was sick at Capernaum. And when he had 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.” If you’re a person who highlights your Bible or underscores it, would you circle the word believe? Would you make note of it?

Because 98 times in the Gospel of John, he uses the word believe. I think John is trying to get our attention. I think he wants to give us a message. Jesus said in verse 48 again, except you see signs and wonders, you will not believe.

The noblemen 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 that 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 which jesus said unto him thy son liveth and himself there’s that word again believed and his whole house this is again the second miracle that jesus did when he was come out of judea into Galilee so i want you to note this morning there are three important truths for us to grasp as we build our assurance in the midst of our doubts that we have in life and i want you to first see the obstacles of true faith the obstacles to true faith in our life because i want you to remember that three times in this passage jesus uses the word believe he starts out saying to the man as well as everybody present he says to them that they would not believe unless they saw signs and miracles and then we see again that he gave a command to the man the nobleman verse 50 and the bible says that the man believed the word then we come down to verse 53 and at the end after understanding and knowing and grasping the timing of the healing of his son the bible says himself believed and his whole house there is obstacles to true faith and i want you to see them because this man that this nobleman that came to Christ,

he was a man who was hired by Herod the King. And he was a servant, he was a manager, he had a responsibility as a government official. And he had great authority and great power and prestige in his life.

Think about this, that as a man of great authority, there were many people that he knew. And he was a man of great wealth, and he could certainly tap into a lot of resources to be able to find something that would help bring healing to his son.

But yet everything that he attempted was of naught. Everything that he tried did not result in any outcome that brought healing to the life of his son. So this royal official became very desperate. So desperate that he traveled 20 miles.

from Capernaum to Cana where Jesus was. And when he came to Cana, he asked help. The Bible tells us, if you’ll look back at your text, verse 47, when he heard that Jesus was come out of Judea into Galilee, he went out unto him and besought him.

It means he begged him. It was a continual pleading that he gave to Christ. He was constantly asking him with great desperation and emotion for this person named Jesus to heal his son. So this nobleman took the initiative understanding that his circumstances were desperate.

They were dire and it did not look like there was any hope. Oh, he decided that he was going to make every effort to find a solution for his dying son. And in that encounter with Christ, we see that there are obstacles to true faith.

The first obstacle is what I call second hand faith. It is second hand faith. Again, back in verse 46, Jesus came into Cana of Galilee where he made the water into wine. And there was a certain nobleman whose son was sick at Capernaum.

Surely this royal official heard that Jesus had turned the water into wine. Surely he had heard about the miracle that Jesus showed up at a wedding and that as he was at this wedding, they were short as they were celebrating this great wedding.

And Jesus Christ miraculously, he turned the water into wine. And there was great celebration. And when something like that would take place, certainly that everybody was talking about it. Everybody was mentioning it.

But there was one problem that this man, who was a nobleman, had heard about Jesus Christ and but he had never had a personal encounter with Christ. And what I wanna say to you is this, is that when we look at the Bible and we see that the word believe takes place three times, that there is really a transition going on in this man’s life, that the outset of this is that he is simply believing in a miracle.

He is simply buying in to a sign. He is so desperate that he’s grasping for anything. It’s not real true authentic faith that he has in Jesus Christ. He just needs a miracle. He is desperate for something to happen for his son, but no real faith in Jesus Christ.

Then Jesus gives him a word and this man had to step up his faith because it went from a insincere faith that only wanted something for himself, and his son, nothing simply wrong with that in relating to the desire for his son to be healed, but understand it was not true faith that led to salvation.

But then he listened to the words of Christ, he responded to those words, and finally the Bible says at the end that he believed and his whole household, his whole family believed. Here’s the thing I want you to know, is that secondhand faith will not save your soul.

What I want you to understand is that a lot of people hear about Jesus and certainly they hear about Jesus in a Christmas season. They hear about Jesus, they have an experience where they might hear a story, maybe somebody tells them about Jesus, maybe they read something, but they never really have an encounter with Jesus.

And what I want to tell you that the only way that you can be saved is that you must come to Christ and you must humble yourself before God Almighty and you must have a real authentic encounter with the Lord Jesus Christ and truly put your trust in him for salvation.

Now if you come to Jesus because you want your marriage fixed, you come to Jesus because you think he’ll get you out of bankruptcy, you come to Jesus because he’ll help you find a job, you think you come to Jesus for these things, these outcomes that you’re hoping will happen.

Listen, I want you to know they will not lead to the salvation of your soul. They are simply secondhand faith. Secondhand faith, many young people grow up in a home, a Christian home and they do not have an encounter with Jesus, they just hear about Jesus.

They grow up in Christian schools and they do not have a real encounter with Christ because I want you to understand this, you must make a decision personally for Jesus Christ. You cannot get to heaven on the coattails of your parents.

You cannot get to heaven on second -hand faith. You cannot hold on to what others have said. You must personally have an encounter with the Lord Jesus Christ. Now I want you to take your Bible this morning and would you back up into the Gospel of Matthew chapter 16 because I think this really drives home what I want you to know and what I think is so important in all of our life is that we really need an encounter with Christ.

We must personally respond to God. It cannot be just what our parents have done and what others have done or what we have heard because it will not get you to heaven. I want you to go to Matthew 16 verse 13.

If you’re a student of the Bible you’re familiar with this passage. The Bible says when Jesus came into the coast of Syria, Philippi, He asked His disciples saying, whom do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?

And so here’s this question, it’s out there, the disciples are giving all kinds of answers. Here’s, what do other people say about me? And they give these answers, but here I want you to note, I want you to jump down, verse 15.

He saith unto them, whom say ye that I am? So he took it from a general question to a personal question, who do you say that I am? Listen to Peter’s response, and Simon Peter answered, said thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.

You see friends, it’s not enough what other people say about Jesus. It’s not enough about what you’ve heard that Jesus might have done, or did do. It’s not enough of what you are hearing at the holiday season.

You must personally respond to the one question, what do you think about Jesus? Have you personally responded to him this morning? Have you had an encounter with Christ that your heart has been so convicted and your heart has become so humble before him that you are ready to receive him and that you have cried out to God and acknowledged your sinfulness and asked him to come into your life and to forgive you of your sins and to receive his grace and his mercy in our life.

Now look, I want you to understand something because this is what I want you to get. I’m shooting out a warning to every mom and dad across the bowels of this church that your children can grow up hearing about Jesus, but not knowing Jesus.

Are you with me? They hear about him. They hear about what others say, but they have never had an encounter with Jesus. They could even tell you stories about Jesus. They are very much like at the outset of this nobleman.

They believe. but it’s not a saving belief. Are you with me? Because I’m going to take you through this process. The second obstacle to true faith is what we call sign -demanding faith. Now, I’m taking you through a process here for your own examination, but also for you as a believer as you are trying to help others come to true faith in Christ.

Look at verse 48. Verse 48 says this, then he said, then said Jesus unto him, accept you see signs and wonders you will not believe. Now think about this. We read through the scriptures and we don’t really grasp it.

You have to sometimes visualize the scriptures to really understand the depth and the scope of what is going on. Verse 47, remember I told you that he was, he besought him, he was pleading, he was begging.

There was, it was continual. He would not stop. He was asking Jesus to do something for his son because his son was at the point of death And he was saying to Jesus come to where I’m at come to where my son is and do something for my son Because he is at the point of death and if you’re a mom if you’re a dad You know the intense passion the emotions that he is feeling and look what Jesus says to him Except you see signs and wonders you will not believe It almost as if Jesus was not even concerned It’s almost as if Jesus was not even staying focused on the conversation or what was actually actually being Requested of him for he is asking Jesus to help him and to help his dying son And then Jesus says to him almost like a rebuke except except You see signs and wonders you will not believe Jesus was not only talking to the nobleman But all of his disciples all those who were around Jesus that that moment and he was really speaking to everyone Because Jesus understood that sign Demanding faith will not lead to salvation Now again,

take your Bible back up to chapter 2 back up to chapter 2. I’m just trying to bring it all home to you chapter 2 verse 23 and verse 24 Again The Bible says now when he was in Jerusalem at the Passover in the feast day many believed in his name When they saw the miracles which he did Do you understand that many believed they saw the miracle they?

believed. But I’m not done. Look at verse 24. Jesus did not commit himself unto them because he knew all men. And it would go on to teach us that he knew all their hearts. You see, Jesus knew that the faith was simply a sign demanding faith.

He knew it wasn’t real faith. He knew that they would only follow Christ as long as he did something for them. And I have to tell you, there’s a lot of people like that. As long as Jesus does this for me, I’ll follow him.

As long as Jesus changes this situation for me, I will follow him. But as soon as I find out that something hasn’t changed or it resulted in the way I want it, then I am done with Jesus. I want to tell you, it’s not saving faith.

They may even be excitable, because many believe when they saw the miracles, they were moved by the miracles. They were touched by the miracles. Their emotions were high as they realized what an amazing thing that Jesus had done.

But you know what? Jesus never committed himself to these people. Why? Because that kind of belief doesn’t send you to heaven. That kind of belief will send you to hell. Signed demanding faith. Jesus is addressing their motives.

Jesus is addressing the motives of this nobleman. Why did they want God to do a miracle? Were they just looking for a magic genie? Were they just looking for something sensational and spectacular? And that when the sensational and spectacular is over, they’re done following Jesus.

See, I want you to understand something about following Jesus. There are good days and there are bad days. Did you know that? Did you know that when you follow Jesus, he tells us that we’re called to deny self, take up the cross, and follow him?

Did you know that when you follow Jesus, you’re not protected from the sorrows and sadness of this world? Did you know that when you follow Jesus, that many trials will enter into your life? The Bible says through much tribulation, we enter into the kingdom of God.

And so this idea that I’ll follow Jesus because he’ll make my life happy, I’ll follow Jesus because everything will be wonderful, I’ll follow Jesus because I’ll never have another problem in my life, I’ll follow Jesus because he’ll fix my marriage, I’ll follow Jesus because he’ll make me healthy, wealthy, all these wonderful things is a lie from the pit of hell.

pastor, why are you hard on the health and wealth gospel teachers? Because they’re lying to you. Because in real life, there are dark days. That in real life, there’s doubts in our hearts. In real life, it’s a struggle.

And we’re agonizing and we’re straining just to be faithful to God, just to live out our faith. And my friends, what I want you to know is this, is that you have a sign demanding faith. It will result in no faith.

It will lead you to hell. Jesus said this in Matthew 12 verse 39, an evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign, and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas. Miracles themselves cannot change a hardened heart.

Jesus, get this, He is more interested in the salvation of this nobleman than He is in the healing of His Son. You say, why would Jesus respond like that? Why would He be so abrupt and abrasive? I’ll tell you why.

Because He wants to know the motive of the nobleman. Because He knows that He can do a miracle, and a miracle doesn’t mean that you believe to the point of salvation. You see, when Jesus hung on the cross, they made fun of Him.

And they made an interesting statement that Matthew records in Matthew 27, verse 42. This is what they said to Jesus while He was on the cross. Listen, He saved others Himself. He cannot save. If He be the King of Israel, let Him come, let Him now come down from the cross, and we will what?

Believe in Him. Do you believe that? I don’t either. They mocked Him. They said, if you’re really the King of kings, and you’re the Lord of lords, come down right now. Come down! And we’ll believe in you.

The truth is that they just wanted another miracle, and that miracle would not have changed their hardened hearts towards God. Sometimes, we are like John the Baptist. And we ask the question, are you the one that we are looking for?

Jesus Christ gives us the assurance that He is the true Messiah. He is the true Savior. We do not have to doubt. We do not have to question. And God wants to deal with every one of our doubts. And He is not afraid to address in our hearts what we have questions about.

It’s good to have questions. It’s good to begin to think through your faith. And so, I want to encourage you to know that there is an assurance. for your doubts and so today I’m thankful we’ve had the opportunity to learn and we’ll continue next week on the same theme.

Before we go let me take this opportunity to encourage you to contact us with your prayer requests. We want to pray for you. We know that God works through prayers and I know that each and every one of you as you’re listening you have different burdens on your heart and struggles and trials that you’re facing.

So we encourage you to contact us at hopeworthhaving .com and go to our prayer request lists and simply let us know what your requests are or you can call us at 717 -264 -3266 and leave your message for us to pray for you.

Don’t be afraid to write us at Hope Worth Having, 600 Miller Street, Chambersburg, Pennsylvania 17201 and we’ll be glad to take every request to our Savior knowing that he cares for us and we can bring these requests to him.

This is Pastor Mike Sanders reminding you that in Christ there is hope worth having.