Having Strong Faith | Part 2

What is the first step in having a strong faith? The Word of God.

Welcome to Love Worth Finding, featuring the profound truth of the Gospel presented in the practical teachings of Adrian Rogers. In part one of today's message, we learned that in the Kingdom of Heaven, faith is the medium of exchange. Whatever we receive from God is according to our faith, which is why it's important to strengthen our relationship with Him. There are four steps in developing a strong faith. If you have your Bible, turn to John chapter 4, we'll begin in verse 46, as Adrian Rogers shares more about having strong faith. Now I'm going to share with you from the Word of God a story about a man who came to Jesus and this man had a weak faith.

I would call it a superficial faith, even worse, a superstitious faith. But he went from that superstitious faith to a strong faith to a saving faith. And that's what I want us to see today and I hope that you today will grow in faith.

Now this man had a problem that was a son that was sick. And this nobleman wanted Jesus to heal his son. And the dark soil of that problem was the soil in which the seed of faith would grow. Now do you want a strong faith?

Do you really? Would you like to really believe God and please God? You know the Bible says without faith it's impossible to please God.

No matter what else you do, I don't care how beautifully you sing, how sacrificially you give, how circumspectly you walk, how faithfully you serve, if you're not believing God, you're not pleasing God. Without faith it is impossible to please God. And the greater your faith, the greater glory God gets, the more pleased He is with it. And by faith man gives God pleasure and by faith God gives man treasure, real treasure.

So let's see here something about a strong faith. Begin reading with me in chapter 4 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 and to Galilee he went unto him and besought him that he would come down and heal his son. For he, that is the son, was at the point of death. Then said Jesus unto him, except ye see signs and wonders ye will not believe. Now Jesus was not giving that just simply as a statement of fact. He was giving that as a rebuke to this man. Jesus is rebuking this man who was looking for signs and wonders.

The nobleman 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. Now if you don't mind marking your Bible, would you underscore that?

Would you underscore that? And the man believed the word. Now are you ready to have a strong faith? Would you really like to have a strong faith? Would you like to be able to believe God and lay believing hands on the promises of God?

Well let me lay three things on your heart. First of all, what I want to call the problem of a superstitious faith. Or if you'd rather, problem of a superficial faith.

It makes no difference how you say it. At first, when this man first met Jesus, his faith was almost non-existent. Look again in verse 48, go back and look at it. Then said Jesus unto him, except ye see signs and wonders ye will not believe. This man had a faith that was based on signs and wonders.

Evidently his motto was, seeing is believing. You would be amazed how many people today want signs and wonders. They want visions, they want emotions, they want dreams, they want liver shivers and icicles going up and down the spine and angels playing tic-tac-toe on the ribs.

They want something so they can say, hey, I know, I know it is real. Now I have seen, now I have touched, now I have smelled, now I have heard, and now I know it is real. Oh God, give me a sign. Oh God, give me a wonder. Now, Jesus did perform miracles.

I know ifs, ands, and buts about that. And why did he do it? Why did Jesus give signs and wonders? Well, he did that to authenticate his ministry. But the miracle was not for the miracle's sake. The miracle was that you might believe on Jesus and have eternal life.

Not that you might seek a miracle, but a Messiah. Not a sign, but a Savior. Now, it's also clear that the apostles did signs and wonders. Some people think that we ought to do signs and wonders because they were done in the New Testament. But these were the signs and wonders done by the apostles.

Put this verse down. 2 Corinthians 12, verse 12. Truly, the signs of an apostle were wrought among you in all patience in signs and wonders and mighty deeds. Now, the apostle Paul had power to do miracles. Signs and wonders and mighty deeds. And God authenticated the ministry of the apostles with signs and wonders. Hebrews chapter 2, verse 4.

Put that verse down. God also bearing them witness both with signs and wonders and diverse miracles and gifts of the Holy Ghost according to his own will. Now, they did not have the power to do signs and wonders according to their own will, but God took the apostles. And because they were apostles and they were setting the foundation of our faith, God authenticated their ministry with signs and wonders.

But, folks, that is not the program for the whole age. God has given us something better than signs and wonders, and I want to show that to you. Listen, what is wrong with demanding a sign? What is wrong with what this man first did when Jesus rebuked him and said, except you see signs and wonders you will not believe? As a matter of fact, Jesus said, an evil and an adulterous generation seeks a sign.

Now, boy, that's pretty strong. An evil and an adulterous generation seeks a sign. Well, why is it so bad? Well, first of all, it's dishonoring to God.

Why is it dishonoring to God for you to say, God, give me a sign, give me a wonder so I can believe? I want something that I can see. I want something I can touch. I want something I can taste.

I want something I can smell. Don't just give me your word. You know, the Bible says, he that believeth not God hath made him a liar. Why are seeking signs and wonders dangerous?

Number one, it dishonors God. Number two, it can be deceiving to you. It can be very, very deceiving. Signs and wonders can easily deceive. The Bible says if it were possible, Satan would deceive the very elect. And don't you let some wonder worker, some miracle worker, some sign giver, some soothsayer, some emissary from Satan deceive you and you go following off after something else because of some sign and some wonder. Jesus said an adulterous and sinful generation seeks after a sign.

It is dishonoring to God and it may be very deceptive to man. Now, let's move to the second point, not only the problem of superficial faith or superstitious faith, but notice the progression of strong faith. I want you to see how this man moved from a weak faith to a very strong, solid, substantive faith. And I want to give you the steps because they're progressive steps here. He moves from signs and wonders to the Word.

And let me give you these steps. Step number one, he heard the Word of God. Look, if you will, in verse 50. And so Jesus saith unto him, Go thy way, thy son liveth, and the man believeth the Word.

Number one, he heard the Word of God. Now, let me tell you what faith is. Faith is not naming it and claiming it. Faith is not receiving from God what you want.

Faith is accepting from God what he gives. Hear the Word of God. Notice this man, he's a nobleman. He's trying to tell Jesus what to do. The nobleman saith unto him, Sir, come down. That is, you come with me. Come on, Lord, I'm going to take you to Capernaum. Now, notice verse 50, Jesus saith unto him, Go thy way. He says, you come, Jesus said, you go.

You go. You're not here to tell me what to do. You're not here to demand me.

You're not here to command me. You're here to hear me, to listen to me, to get a word from me. Romans 10, verse 14 says this, How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard?

And how shall they hear without a preacher? And then Romans 10, verse 17, So then faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. Now, folks, if you want strong faith, you've got to hear the Word of God. Let me tell you what faith is. Listen to me. Faith is taking God at his Word.

Did that sink in? Faith is taking God at his Word. The man believed the Word. Jesus said to him, and he heard Jesus. Now, it's very important that if you would have faith, number one, you must know what God has said. And if you want others to have faith, you must tell them what God has said. And that's the reason Paul said, How can they hear without a preacher? And we have a lot of churches who advertise signs and miracles and wonders.

They advertise them and don't do them. Jesus did them and didn't advertise them. The Word of God. Step number one in having a strong faith, number one, is to hear the Word of God.

Number two is to believe the Word of God. Now, look, if you will, in verse 50. And the man believed the Word.

Do you see that? Jesus saith unto him, Go thy way, thy son liveth, and the man believed the Word. That's step number two in faith.

It's not enough to hear the Word of God. You can sit here and listen to me preach this morning, but if you don't believe the Word of God, you're not going to have faith. You have to believe the Word of God. Well, you say, Abraham, I can't believe.

That's my problem. I just can't believe. May I tell you, sir, may I tell you, madam, that you can believe if you want to.

The Bible says, He that believeth not God hath made him a liar. Well, you say, I have intellectual problems. No, you don't. You don't have intellectual problems. Your problem is not intellectual. It is moral. Your problem is not in your head.

It is in your heart. You say, well, I know some intellectuals who don't believe the Bible. Well, I know some intellectuals who do. You say, well, I know some foolish people who believe the Bible. I know some foolish people who don't. What we believe is not contrary to reason.

It goes beyond reason. Faith is a gift of God, and if a person wants to believe, God will enable that person to believe, and never say to God, God, it is not my fault if I don't believe. The Bible says whatsoever is not a faith is sin. You see, faith is not seeing signs and wonders. You know what faith is?

Faith is a response to the character of God. That's why when Jesus came to this earth, He laid aside all of the glory, the splendor, the majesty that He had that was inherently His, but He kept His deity in human flesh, and He walked in sandal feet. And when we saw Him, there's no form of comeliness, no beauty that we should desire Him.

He didn't come in a jewel chariot, in a display of glory. He came through the portals of a virgin's womb, born in a smelly stable, worked in a carpenter's shop, but yet there was in Jesus Christ the grace, the glory, the fullness of God, that when a man's heart was right, he heard Jesus. He knew that Jesus is speaking with authority, and his heart responds to Him. When your heart is right, your heart will respond to the Word of God in faith, just like my eye responds to light when my eye is right, and my ear responds to sound when my ear is right. Your heart will respond to God when your heart is right, and that heart response is faith.

It is not God does miracles, no. When God speaks, speaks through His Word, there's something in you that says that is true. The Holy Spirit of God whispers amen to your heart, and He will impart it to your heart. You must hear the Word of God. Number two, you must believe the Word of God. Jesus saith unto him, and then it says, and the man believed the Word of God. Now, you're not there yet.

Here's the third step. Not only must you hear the Word of God, not only must you believe the Word of God, you must obey the Word of God. Begin now in verse 50 and look at it. Jesus saith unto him, Go thy way.

Now watch this. And the man believed the word that Jesus had spoken unto him, and he went his way. He went his way. And as he was now going down and so forth, he does exactly what Jesus tells him to do. This is what the Bible calls the obedience of faith in Romans 16, verse 26. You know what real faith is? Real faith is belief with legs on it. Real faith, don't miss that.

It is belief with legs on it. James told us in James chapter 2, verse 26, for as the body without the Spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead. You don't have strong faith if you do not obey the Word of God.

You hear the Word of God, you believe the Word of God, and then you obey the Word of God. Had this man still had his superficial, superstitious faith, he would have still been there begging Jesus for a sign, a wonder. But no, he just leaves it with Jesus.

He does exactly what Jesus tells him to do, and he believes the Word of God. Now, I want you to notice something very interesting now concerning faith. After he believes the Word of God, here's the fourth and the final step, which shows he has this strong faith. He is resting in the Word of God. Look, if you will, now in verse 51. 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 in which he began to amend, and don't miss this, and he saith unto them, Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him. But Allah knew it was at the same hour in the which Jesus saith unto him, Thy son liveth.

Now, the point is this. It has been 24 hours. 24 hours. When did your son get well?

When did my son get well? Yesterday. At what time?

Well, about one in the afternoon. And the man said, Well, that's just when I was talking to Jesus. That's just when Jesus said to me, Go thy way, thy son lives.

Now, I want to ask you a question. If you had a son that was 17 miles away, and Jesus had said, Go thy way, thy son lives, what would you have done? You'd gone straight home. Most of us would. Straight home.

Why? To see. To see. Now, this is about 17 miles. He could have been there in five or eight hours by foot. He could have been there two hours by chariot. He's a nobleman.

He certainly wouldn't be on his feet. But 24 hours have passed. 24 hours have passed and he's not gone home yet. Tell me why.

I really don't know why. Maybe he's so tired, he's been sitting up by his son's bedside all this time, and his son's at the point of death. Now, Jesus says, Your son is alive.

He says, Fine. Thank you. He is resting in what our Lord has done, and it is what I want to call the rest of faith. Here's a scripture that I copied out for you. Psalm 37, verses 5 through 7. Commit thy way unto the Lord, trust also in him, and he shall bring it to pass, and he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light and thy judgment as the noonday. Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for him. Now, he's not demanding proof.

He's not even hot footing at home to see if it has happened. The rest of faith is the mark of real faith, of real faith. You know, he says he's going to bring forth your righteousness as the noonday.

Have you ever thought about that? The Lord says, You just rest in me. It's just like the sun coming up. Friend, you can't hurry the sunrise, but you can't stop it, and you can't hurry God, and you can't stop him. The Bible says, He that believes in him shall not make haste, and here's this man. He's just gone from a superficial faith to a strong faith. He hears the Word of God. He believes the Word of God. He obeys the Word of God. He rests in the Word of God, and if you don't learn how to do that, you listen to your pastor now, you're going to be blown about. You're going to be stampeded by all kinds of things. You get a bulldog grip on the Word of God, and don't be trying to live by emotions and feelings and visions and dreams, signs and wonders.

They had their purpose. Now, if I get sick, or I have a loved one that's sick, can I pray and ask God to heal that loved one? Of course, of course. And does God heal and answer the prayer?

Of course. Could that be a sign and wonder? Of course, but it's not something that causes me to believe in him. God doesn't always heal the sick. I come to him, and I ask him, and I thank God that he heals, and I believe he has healed me. Is it wrong to go to a doctor?

Not at all. Jesus said in Matthew 9, verse 12, they that are whole don't need a doctor, but they that are sick. Well, he's talking about spiritual things, yeah, but he used the truth to illustrate spiritual things with.

He wouldn't have illustrated spiritual things with a lie. So what do you do if you get sick? You pray, and then you go to the doctor and do what the doctor tells you to do. Now, here's the last thing, and we really got to hurry here. I want you to see now the provision of saving faith. We talked about superficial faith, strong faith, and now it moves to saving faith. Look in verse 53.

So the Father knew that it was at the same hour in which Jesus said unto him, Thy Son liveth, and himself believed, and his whole house. Well, wait a minute. I thought he already believed.

Well, no, this is a different kind. He's moving up another notch. The man believes now, not in a miracle worker, but in a Messiah. This time, the man is born again. He believes in Jesus as his Lord and Savior. Can you imagine him getting home?

What a time of rejoicing there must have been as they hug. He sees his son, he's well, and so forth. And then this man says, now wait a minute.

Let me tell you. Let me tell you about Jesus. Let me tell you about the Messiah, and they come to a saving faith in the Lord Jesus Christ because that's what the Gospel of John is written about.

These things are written that you might believe that Jesus is the Christ, and believing you might have life through his name. Jesus did not come as a healer. Jesus came as a Savior. Luke 19, 10, Jesus said, The Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which is lost. And so he didn't heal everybody. He went to the pool of Bethesda.

There were many sick people there. He just healed one, as we're going to see in another chapter. No, all of these are miracles that point to the greater miracle, which is the new birth. I wrote a book called Believe in Miracles, but Trust in Jesus. Trust in Jesus. Don't put your faith in miracles. The only reason for signs and miracles and wonders are to trust in Jesus. Now, suppose this boy had gotten healed and he never got saved.

Think about it. Suppose he got healed and he never got saved. Then he'd live a few more years and die and go to hell. Listen, you hear the Word of God. You believe the Word of God. You obey the Word of God, and you rest in the Word of God. Don't be looking for some sign, some wonder, some miracle that's going to get you out.

Let me tell you something. Jesus is the Savior. He suffered, lived, led, and died for you, rose from the dead, and if you'll trust him, I promise you, according to his Word, he will save you and he will keep you, and one day we'll be gathered around the throne to give him praise forever and ever and ever. Believe in miracles, but trust in Jesus. And you go from a superficial faith to a strong faith to a saving faith.

That's what matters. Father God, I pray today in the name of Jesus that many will give their hearts to Christ and be saved. If you want to be saved, I want to guide you in a prayer. I want you to pray this prayer. Dear God, just pray that I'm a sinner.

I'm lost. My sin deserves judgment, but I need mercy. I repent of my sin. I'm sorry for my sin. I turn from my sin. Lord Jesus, I open my heart. I receive you now as my Lord and my Savior. Forgive my sin, cleanse me, and save me right now. I don't ask for a feeling.

I don't look for a sign. I believe your Word. I stand on your Word.

I trust you to save me. Thank you for doing it, Lord Jesus. And now, Lord, I will obey your Word and make it public. I will not be ashamed of you.

Amen. If you've prayed to receive Jesus Christ just now, let us celebrate with you. Go to our Discover Jesus page on our website. You'll find answers there you may need about your newfound faith.

We have a response section as well. You can share your testimony with us or how this message has made a difference in your life. Go to lwf.org slash radio and click the tab that says Discover Jesus. God bless you and welcome to the forever family of God.

Let us hear from you today. Now, if you'd like to order a copy of today's message, call us at 1-877-LOVEGOD and mention the title Having Strong Faith. This message is also part of the insightful series, The Bible, The Book of the Ages.

If you'd like that complete collection, all 12 powerful messages, call 1-877-LOVEGOD or you can order online at lwf.org slash radio or write us at Love Worth Finding, Box 38600, Memphis, Tennessee 38183. If you want to strengthen your faith, get a good grip on the Word of God. Don't look to the miracles, but to the Messiah.

Do not follow the signs, but to save you. And we hope you'll join us next time for more real truth that never changes right here on Love Worth Finding. A listener wrote this message on our Facebook page.

I have to share it with you. She said, Adrian Rogers preaches with clarity, humility, kindness, and truth. His voice is compelling and his life reflected his faith. But we are so honored to share the unchanging truth of the gospel at such a time as this. It's why Love Worth Finding is proud to present a new documentary film, Nothing But the Truth in partnership with the film's producers. And when you donate to the ministry this month, we want to send you a DVD copy. This documentary film exposes the cultural erosion of biblical truth in America, and also provides viewers with access to faith strengthening truth from the Word of God. Our goal in the project, as in every effort, is to bring people to Christ and help them grow in their faith. Request the DVD, Nothing But the Truth, when you call with a gift right now at 1-877-LOVEGOD, or give online at lwf.org slash radio.