Priceless Treasure

If you would take your Bibles
and turn to John chapter 4, a long way away from 1 Corinthians,
but this morning I want to do something that I’ve never done
before, at least I can’t remember ever doing so, and that is to
preach what some of you even this morning may deem to be a
topical message because it’s tied directly to the celebration
stipulated on our calendars, that of Father’s Day. You who
know me know that I’m not typically inclined to adjust my preaching
schedule just to fit the theme of a particular day of the year. Sometimes, and not always, I
do so at Christmas and or Easter. It’s amazing how many passages
through which we’re preaching are perfectly appropriate come
the day of Christmas or Easter. After all, it’s about Christ. But I don’t adjust for almost
anything else. I certainly don’t do a New Year’s message necessarily
or Valentine’s Day or Halloween. But I thought it was appropriate
today to take the opportunity to speak
initially to the parents. And even as I say that, I want
you to know that this message is not just for parents. It is
something that all of us will need to wrestle with. And so even though I’ve never
done a Father’s Day, or to my knowledge, a Mother’s Day message,
today will be a bit of a departure. And I know that some of you might
be inclined to label a message like this a topical message,
which is a particularly dirty word in a church that regards
so highly expository preaching. And so this allows me the opportunity
to correct a bit of our understanding about expository preaching. Some
people feel and act as if a preached message can only be expository
if it occurs in the midst of a verse-by-verse treatment of
an entire book of the Bible. That’s not what expository preaching
is. If that were so, then no one
who was ever asked to preach a single message in a pulpit,
whether it’s a guest preacher or a young preacher or a conference
speaker, no one could ever avoid preaching a topical sermon if
we hold to that view of expository preaching. But expository preaching
is not bound by such a definition. Expository preaching is identified
more by the source from which the message is derived. Is it
truly derived, exegeted out of the biblical text? If so, it’s
an expository message. And so with that, I would like
us this morning to return to a book, a book of the Bible through
which I’ve already preached. We spent three years in this
book, as a matter of fact. But today I want to do a one
only consideration of a passage for a very specific purpose.
Father’s Day. But this will, as I’ve already
indicated, hit all of us. This, of course, will immediately
be recognized as an overdue cap to our parenting class, which
ended just a few weeks ago. I purposed to preach a message
after the parenting class as kind of a encouragement and buckle
up and hang on to the parents in that class. And so today,
Father’s Day, I’d like to consider a passage of scripture that biblically
addresses our parenting. but so much more. Most parents have an odd obsession
of giving things to their children. And doing so is not an inherently
sinful thing, but giving can quickly become misguided. Think of it. Parents begin life
with seeking to give their children toys and experiences, gifts,
and it really never ends. It begins in the child’s infancy
as parents desperately seek to provide safety and protection
for their children, safety from outside elements, safety from
worldly elements, safety from neighborhood kids, and at times,
even siblings. It continues throughout childhood
with fancy birthday parties, each parent seemingly trying
to outdo the next. Expensive gifts, fun experiences,
Chuck E. Cheese, which by God’s good grace,
I’ve never eaten at, Waterworld, Disneyland, and the like. At
times, it seems as if parents are on a never-ending quest to
find that one perfect thing to give to their children. And so
they provide travel, amazing destinations, vacations, experiences. They try to teach and impart
good life lessons They seek to provide the best education, the
best classes, the best instructors, the best schools. And to provide all that, they
selflessly procure scholarships for their children. Parents often
try to instill confidence and courage and so many other character
qualities. They look to cultivate good friendships
and good friend groups for their kids. And in that, we seek to
empower our children, don’t we? Parents worry themselves as well
to craft a family legacy, to keep a good shine on the family
name and instill in their children a good sense of family tradition. And then, even in death, parents
often bequeath an inheritance, riches, heirlooms, more things. None of those things are inherently
bad, but they’re just not the best thing. There are simply
not the best gifts that parents can provide. And so what are
the best things? What are those things that parents
ought to be most eager to provide? I think we’ll find it in John
chapter four. beginning in verse 43, coursing
down to verse 54. John 4, 43. Follow along as I
read. After the two days, he went forth
from there into Galilee, for Jesus himself testified that
a prophet has no honor in his own country. So when he came
to Galilee, the Galileans received him having seen all the things
that he had done in Jerusalem at the feast, for they themselves
also went to the feast. Therefore, he came again to Cana
of Galilee, where he had made the water wine. And there was
a royal official whose son was sick at Capernaum. When he heard
that Jesus had come out of Judea into Galilee, he went to him
and was imploring him to come down and heal his son, for he
was at the point of death. So Jesus said to him, unless
you people see signs and wonders, you simply will not believe.
The royal official said to him, sir, come down before my child
dies. Jesus said to him, go, your son
lives. The man believed the word that
Jesus spoke to him and started off. As he was now going down,
his slaves met him, saying that his son was living. So he inquired
of them the hour when he began to get better. Then they said
to him, yesterday at the seventh hour, the fever left him. So
the father knew that it was at that hour in which Jesus said
to him, your son lives. And he himself believed and his
whole household. This is again a second sign that
Jesus performed when he had come out of Judea into Galilee. The
context of this passage is of particular importance, but just
a brief review. Jesus has just exited Samaria
and specifically with his interaction with the woman at the well and
then subsequently the Samaritan villagers. Jesus was ultimately
heading for Galilee even in his passing through Samaria. You’ll
recall that Jesus had performed his first and astounding miracle
in Cana. where he had turned water into
wine. And as the Apostle John notes
in the last verse of this paragraph, this is the second in a series
of miracles that Jesus will perform there in this very Jewish region. A fulfillment, Matthew tells
us, of Old Testament prophecy. Jesus begins a lengthy season
of ministry here in Galilee that will last for nearly a year and
a half, almost half his ministry. In the gospel accounts, each
of the gospel writers participate in weaving together an amazing
tapestry of Christ’s ministry there. John opens his account
of Christ’s Galilean ministry with this narrative. of a desperately
concerned father for his ailing son. Let’s look at the introduction. The opening words, verses 43
to 45, present a short little introduction to this very brief
narrative. Well, this was Jesus’ hometown. John adds this sad lament that
for the most part, Jesus was disregarded as to his true nature,
that of Messiah. Both Matthew and Mark echo this
same sentiment, even though on different occasions, that a prophet
has no honor in his own country. In other words, it was a proverbial
statement, a well-known fact that Jesus was not generally
acknowledged as the Son of God in his home region of Galilee. He remained only the carpenter’s
son, remember? You’ve heard the old saying,
familiarity breeds contempt. That describes the Galileans.
To them, Jesus was just another man. And the remarkable thing
is that Jesus returns to this place anyway to seek and to cultivate
the very thing that is so plainly absent, saving faith. Now remember when I said the
context of traveling through Samaria would be especially important? Think of this. In Samaria, where
Jesus should not have been welcomed because he was a Jew, he was
enthusiastically received as Savior. But here in his own country,
Galilee, where of all places Jesus should have been welcomed
and honored and received, he was only treated as a Any
other fellow Jew, nothing special. But now. Now that the Galileans
have begun hearing these fantastic reports about Jesus, their curiosity
is stirred. Look at verse 45, if you would.
So when he came to Galilee, the Galileans received him. Having
seen all the things that he did in Jerusalem at the feast, for
they themselves also went to the feast. Therefore he came
again to Cana of Galilee, where he had made the water wine.”
So what did Jesus do in Jerusalem? What did these townspeople see
and witness? Well, it was eventful, remember?
Immediately after his first miracle, which John mentions, that of
turning water into wine, having arrived at the temple, he observed
that ugly scene of people selling doves and sheep and goats exchanging
money, and he cleansed the temple. They would remember that. But that was only the beginning
of his conflicts. His interaction with Nicodemus
stems from his observation that because he knew what was in a
man, their fickle and wayward hearts, He was not entrusting
himself to them. He was not going to play their
game. He was not going to be their popular president. All this to say the Galileans
knew that this was no ordinary man, but they didn’t quite know
what to do with him yet. In a very rudimentary way, the
crowds believed in him, but it was more a faith of fascination
than the faith that leads to salvation. And so there’s an
important little word in verse 6, 46, rather, I want you to
glance at. It’s the word again. Jesus came
again to Cana of Galilee. But as Jesus returns home, the
townspeople are just a little more than cordial. Look, if you
would, please, at the last line of verse 46. And there was a royal official
whose son was sick. at Capernaum. With that brief
contextual introduction, John begins his narrative of a concerned
father. He’s introduced to us with what
I would call some vague specificity. He’s not just any man, but he’s
a royal official. But even with that description,
there’s just not that much clarity as to his actual role or title. We don’t have his name. We don’t
know his title. Literally, the word here could
be translated as a king’s man. It’s used only here in the New
Testament, so we don’t get a lot of help from elsewhere. A person
so designated could have been a civil official, he could have
been a military officer, and it’s likely that this man held
some kind of a position in Herod’s court. Now technically, Herod’s
official title was Tetrarch, kind of a governor. But Matthew
generously and frequently refers to him as Herod the King. And
so this man, a king’s man, though not a member of the royal family,
was a high-ranking official. There’s one final additional
note in consideration of this man’s identity. Luke mentions
a similar situation with a man in a similar position that seeks
a similar miracle, a man named Cusa. whom he identifies as Herod’s
steward. It’s at least possible that this
man is the same man. The point of this matter is that
this man, whoever he is, whatever title he bears, this man is a
father. And specifically, a concerned
father of a sick child. And with that, We are come to
the section that I would refer to as priceless treasure. The greatest gift a parent can
give. We begin in verse 47 of our consideration. Because as we begin to look at
this priceless treasure, the very greatest gift that a parent
can give their child, we first have to we first have to interact
with a few other gifts. And in verses 47 through 49,
we see, first of all, that a loving parent gives the gift of intense
concern for the physical well-being of their child. That’s exactly
what this man does. Look at verse 47. When he heard
that Jesus had come out of Galilee, he went to him and was imploring
him. to come down and heal his son,
for he was at the point of death. Here’s an area where, right,
parents most naturally excel. Mama bears, papa bears, we excel
over the physical protection and care of our God-given children.
From the moment they’re born, we dote upon them with the greatest
care, warm blankets, good clothing. We even drive better. And we’re
sure to lock our doors at night. Over time, we give them good
food and vitamins. We try to keep them off of sugar. We encourage them to get plenty
of rest. We bandage their wounds and we
cuddle them when they’re sick. All of that comes very natural
to a parent. And so we’re not surprised here
to hear of this royal official whose son is ill, rushing to
the one about whom he was hearing so much, this Jesus. Of course, he would turn to Jesus
for help. Everyone else was or soon would
be. And this poor father, he’s especially
motivated because his dear son is at the point of death. He’s
desperate. And he makes one simple request
of Jesus. Come down and heal my son. Come
down to Capernaum and please heal my boy. And the form of the verb here
paints a picture of urgency. He didn’t just make his request
and then let it drop. He was imploring him. He kept
on asking Christ. Thus far, he’s done the right
thing. He knew right where to go. He’s
a good, concerned parent. He submits his request. In fact,
he’s pleading with Jesus. And so he does have a measure
of faith. But it’s simple faith. And it’s
really only stirred by his child’s weakness. Any parent knows this
drill, right? When our child is sick or injured
or facing some life crisis, we immediately turn to become the
greatest prayer warriors. Pleading with the Lord on the
child’s behalf, but it’s simple faith. Crisis faith. There’s one additional indication
that his faith is simple and weak. He assumes that Jesus must
be present in order to work such a miracle. That unless he draws
near to the bedside of the dying boy, all hope is lost. In some way, he considers Christ
to be limited. Perhaps he’s a very good man
and he might even be a prophet. That’s not believers faith. We ought to have care and concern,
not just parents. We ought to have care and concern
for the physical well-being, not only of children, but of
people. But what the father models here
initially, this intense care for the physical well-being of
their child is really just natural. He gives the most natural gift
a parent could give in going and seeking out Christ. to try
and find a cure. Luke 14 five says, which one
of you has an ox? As Jesus is talking to the Pharisees
who were criticizing him for healing on the Sabbath. Which
one of you has a son or an ox fall into a well? How absurd
it would be if we didn’t do something like this. Such basic care and
concern we refer to as natural affection. In fact, first Timothy
5 8 says that if anyone does not provide for his own and especially
for those of his own household, he has denied the faith and is
worse than an unbeliever. This is only natural. It’s the
natural right and caring thing to do, especially for parents. And so what is the Lord’s response
to this father’s caring concern? Look, if you would, at verse
48. So Jesus said to him, unless you people see signs and wonders,
you simply will not believe. What? This reply by Jesus to this poor,
desperate, hurting man sounds cold and even harsh to our ears. It’s not. In fact, it’s a merciful
call to salvation by faith, absolute faith in Christ. And Jesus, as
all knowing God, knows exactly what this royal official needs
to draw him into deeper faith. Jesus does not reject the man’s
faith outright. Instead, he tests it. Severely. This man’s faith is a crisis
faith. He’s prompted almost exclusively
by his son’s health crisis. He’s come seeking kindness on
another person’s behalf, namely his own son. He’s not come seeking
a savior. The kind of faith which the Galileans
had in Christ was Generally speaking, a basic rudimentary faith that
would not save. But Jesus desired to stretch
and shape this admiring man’s faith. His answer is really not
an answer to the man’s direct question. His answer is really
a rebuke. It’s his characterization of
the Jewish nation based on thousands of years of observation and interaction. That very capable overview of
Psalm 106 pinned it to a T. He puts the man in the general
category of the Jewish people. They were those who were always
clamoring for signs. They wanted miracles, amazing
signs and wonders, but they cared little for Christ’s teachings. John Calvin so bluntly characterized
this verse. He says that Jesus saw that his
doctrine had no great authority and was not only neglected, but
altogether despised And on the other hand, that all their eyes
were fixed on miracles and their whole senses were seized with
stupidity rather than admiration. The Jews depended so much on
miracles, they left no room for the word. The sentiment that Jesus expresses
here was proverbial. Just as Paul so bluntly states
it in 1 Corinthians 1.22, Jews ask for signs. It characterized
them. In direct contrast, that’s not
what Jesus found in Samaria, remember? They came to Christ
absent any real astounding works or signs, and the townspeople
largely on the Samaritan woman’s testimony alone. Make no mistake. Christ’s words here are indeed
a rebuke to the man. He makes this strongly negative
statement. Unless you people see signs and
wonders, you simply will not believe. In other words, it’s
a near impossibility for these religious Jews to come to even
a basic measure of faith without some fantastic sign. I remember early in ministry,
hearing a pastor issue this warning about youth ministry. Whatever
you catch them with, you’re going to have to keep them with. A
youth ministry that is built on a dog and pony show is always
going to have to provide some glitzy, glamorous, cool things
to maintain the kid’s attention or it won’t grow. It was the
same way with the Jews. One miracle would not do. but
rather a steady stream of miracles is what they saw it. Jesus applied
this generally to the Jews, not directly to the man. But since
the man is a Jew, he must also reconcile this disparity in his
own heart. And standing where he does, he’s
at a precipice. He might shrink back to a mere
polite acknowledgment of Jesus, Or he might indeed be drawn into
deeper that is genuine faith. He’s at a spiritual crossroad.
And he does not hesitate. Look at verse 49. The royal official,
and you take this without even a hesitation, without even to
allow further discussion on the matter. The royal official said
to him, sir, come down before my child dies. He stayed the
course. He persevered. The man is not
rude to the Lord, but neither does he seek to engage with Jesus
regarding the content of this rebuke. I’m not going to be drawn
into an argument. He doesn’t want to defend himself
or his nation. He doesn’t want to interact on
some deep theological subject. His only concern is for his son. And he refers to him here in
the most delicate terms, my little child. The man is not stubborn, he’s
just fixated. And his last resort, his only
hope is Jesus coming down to heal his boy. As one pastor identified
it, human sorrow is the birth pang of faith. And his faith is going to be
awakened. This poor, hurting royal official, so powerful in
his personal life, is brought to the end of himself, and all
he can do is plead with the only one who can help. His faith is
weak, but it’s present. But there’s a second gift that
this parent gives. There’s a second gift that each
of us might be inclined to give a loving parent gives the gift
not only of a caring concern for their child’s well-being,
but a loving parent gives the gift of a faith lived out as
an example to their child. Look at verse 50. Jesus said
to him, Go, your son lives. The man believed the word that
Jesus spoke to him and started off. Neither does Jesus force the
man to engage with him about a theological assessment of himself
or the nation. He’s leading this man. And Jesus
grants the man’s ultimate request in a manner that requires the
stirring and the maturing of the man’s faith. With a single
sentence. And his statement in verse 50
is about to spring the man’s faith wide open. Jesus still
does not acquiesce or obligate himself to the man’s sustained
request, simple as it was. Instead, he issues the man a
crisis of faith order. A command. One that will immediately
require greater faith, greater than the first faith that prompted
him to come to Christ. Think of this. All the man knows
is that his son is dying. And now Jesus tells him that
he lives. No detail, no explanation, no
hospital report, no Very careful physician’s diagnosis. Nothing. Just a command. Go. Your son lives. He can accept Jesus word that
his son lives and turn in faith toward home, or he can stand
and challenge the very one whose help he’s seeking. It’s an either or proposition.
There is no middle ground. And Jesus doesn’t offer any medical
proof, no other words of assurance of any kind. It’s not as if he
says, hey, I know this virus is bad, it’s killed a lot of
people, but I have every confidence that your son, being of such
a young age and vigorous boy that he is, he’s going to recover.
It’s not what happens. It’s not what he says. He says,
go, your son lives. And even that is a stretch of
the man’s faith. But I want you to notice this.
There’s no pause, no further questions, no seeking of additional
assurance. Are you sure? It just says that he believed. His faith, once feeble, has now
grown. And the man believed the word that Jesus spoke, the word
that his son lives. He believed that. But watch this. He proves his faith. His faith
begins to grow. How you say, look at this, the
man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and started off. Amazing statement. He did something. He actually did something very
difficult. He turned on his heels away from
Christ, away from the Lord that he had just implored. And in
faith, he began to walk away from the only one that he believed
could really help his son. And his faith would grow literally
with each successive step on his way home. Each successive
step was a step further away from Jesus. Jesus said, go, and he went.
The man’s faith immediately excelled beyond his confidence in the
possibility of a healing to the assurance that it was as good
as done. He took it in faith. And in this sense, there are
two miracles performed at once. Not only the restoration of the
child’s life, but the cultivation of genuine faith in this nobleman. Parents can give their children
many, many things. But in addition to an intense
concern for the physical well-being of their child, a parent must
also live out their faith before their children. They must be
exemplary. And we’ll be called to do so
as parents, as believers in a thousand different ways to walk by faith,
to take God at his word, to heed his warnings, to rest in his
promises, to hold to his principles, to trust in his teachings and
truths. This is the life of faith. And
children need to see that in their parents. If you don’t believe
it enough to live it, they’ll never come to saving faith. They
need to know that you truly believe in the Savior whom you profess
to believe and the salvation that this Savior holds forth. But you know what? Not even this. is the greatest thing that a
parent can give. It’s just not. It’s good. It’s a great thing.
It’s absolutely necessary if they’re going to come to saving
faith. But not even this constitutes priceless treasure. For that, we look to the final
verse, verse 53. A loving parent. A loving believer. has an intense concern for the
physical well-being of their child or others. A loving parent
gives the gift of faith lived out as an example to their child
or to others. Thirdly, a loving parent gives
the gift of life-giving testimony to their child. Would you pick
up in verse 51? As he was now going down, his
slaves met him saying that his son was living. So he inquired
of them the hour when he began to get better. They said to him
yesterday at the 11th hour, the fever left him. So the father
knew that it was at that hour, which in which Jesus said to
him, your son lives. And he, he himself believed and
his whole household. So this man who thought that
initially he was fetching the popular new faith healer, he
has ample time to consider his own spiritual condition as he
proceeds along step by step all the while in this new and growing
faith. to see his son. Every step along
the way might have been assaulted with doubt and worry. Each step,
he might have second-guessed his sender and thought to return
instead to him face to face with a fresh appeal. Each step might
have been bathed with only a parent’s prayer, pleading continually
for the hope and the fulfillment of Jesus promises. And as he
plotted along, suddenly he looks up and he sees his own house
servants hastening to meet up with him. Is it good news? His heart must have pounded with
anticipation for this report. Was there any doubt remaining
in his heart? It was about to disappear. They
joyfully declare to him that his son was living. To our ears,
that might sound like a rather incomplete report. I know he’s
alive, but. Is he better? But not to this
prayerful father. Christ had proclaimed it and
he had taken Jesus at his word. He may not have been surprised,
but he had almost Come to expect to find this to be so. He was overjoyed nonetheless.
And yet the father’s faith has one more hurdle to overcome.
And it’s betrayed in his question to his servants. Would you glance
down at verse 51? He inquired of them the hour. Can you tell me when the fever
began? Can you tell me when my son began
to recover? Even this man whose faith has
gone from weak and feeble to stretching and growing by the
minute, he does not foresee a complete miracle here. He thinks of Christ’s
words as indicating a recovery. You know, he’s going to get better.
He’s going to take months of rehab. He thought of maybe divine assistance,
but now we’ve got to nurse him back to good health. not an act
of divine omnipotence in which this child would be completely
recovered. The father wasn’t prepared for that, but he seeks
to remove all doubt by determining the exact moment of his son’s
recovery. Verse 52 captures it. They said
to him yesterday at the seventh hour, the fever left him. And
the father, it appears, might have been content with a slight
improvement. That’s all we’re looking for
is just a little fever breaks. Great. Bedridden for weeks. We’ll deal with that. What time, exactly what hour
did my son get to be better? The question may have sounded
odd in the ears of his servants. But he asks in order to verify
once and for all the miracle on which he had believed. And
the slave’s answer confirms it. Yesterday at the seventh hour,
it was no gradual healing at all, no mere recovery with long
rehab. He was healed and healed completely
in precisely the same moment that Jesus declared it. And he
knew it. Now, all doubt must fall away. And the full nature of Jesus
must be acknowledged. This was no mere prophet. This
was no mere faith healer. This was the Messiah. This was
God in the flesh who had been able to heal his son by just
a word, just as the Godhead had created the entire world. Ascertaining this truth was not
merely for himself, as it will soon become evident. He wanted
this fact to be known by all. He wanted his whole family, his
entire household, servants and all, to come face to face with
the truth and the reality of who Jesus was. One Puritan pastor warned, by
nature we have an exceedingly wicked disposition to extinguish
the light of the power of God. We want to explain it away. Satan
labors by various means to hide the works of God from our view,
and therefore, in order that they may obtain from us that
praise which is due them, they must be made so manifest that
no room is left for doubt. Whatever then may be the ingratitude
of men, still this circumstance does not permit so illustrious
a work of Christ to be ascribed to chance. The man knew absolutely
it was a profound miracle. But look at this. Look at the end of verse 53.
No sooner do they give this report, the father knew, he knew that
it was the hour in which Jesus said to him, your son lives,
and he himself believed, and his whole household. And with
this report, this troubled father’s faith comes to full measure. No longer is it a hesitant faith
in a mere healer. He knows that he has just interacted
with God himself in the flesh, that he is indeed the Messiah
whom God had long promised. And here now for the third time
in this narrative, The man’s faith is named. Jesus was the
first. In verse 48, the Apostle John
identified in it a measure of faith as the man started off
in verse 50, a crisis of faith. And now his faith is mentioned
again. He himself believed and his whole
household. And I want you to notice. There’s no promise associated
with his faith. The initial measure of faith
was in the fact that his son would be healed. But now he simply
believes. He believes on the Lord Jesus
Christ as savior. And not only did the man come
to saving faith in Christ, so did his whole household, his
wife, his children, his servants, all of them. And that fact necessitates
one more simple but profound gift. Not only a loving concern,
not only a life example, but a gospel witness. He told them.
He told them about the Savior. He proclaimed Christ and all
that he was and had done for them, not merely by sparing his
own son from death, but imparting to him saving faith in the Son
of God. How else would they have come
to know faith? This royal official not only
came to believe, but he directed and led everyone in his sphere
of influence to the same. Parents, in the midst of giving
good gifts to your children, as we tend to do, you’ll no doubt
have an intense concern for them. You’ll no doubt live out your
faith before them and others, as you should. But if that’s
all you do, you’ve utterly failed. If you don’t teach and proclaim
the Savior, And your children’s beloved, desperate need for such
a Savior? You fail utterly. We must teach
and impart the child’s desperate condition, their sinful nature,
their urgent need for a Savior. We must Tell of the hope of eternal
life, the righteousness of Christ available by faith alone in Christ
alone. We must must teach forgiveness
for sin available only through Christ’s atonement. An eternity
for heaven for all who are in Christ’s. We must consistently
give to them the greatest gift. The good news, the gospel. Of the Lord Jesus Christ. Do
you humble yourselves in prayer? Our merciful king, we do thank
you that just like this man, you nursed us along and drew
us to faith, imparting it to us as an infinitely priceless
treasure. We believed the Lord we could
give. Millions of dollars worth of
kindness and fun and experience and things that the world can’t
even imagine. But if we do not live out our
faith and proclaim Christ. And salvation by him. We are
no concerned parents at all. And likewise, we are no concerned
friend. If we do not do likewise for
the lost. Father, if there are those here
hearing this message might have sounded strange to their ears.
Jesus Christ is the only hope for sinners. And a sinner must
place their faith in him exclusively for salvation or be lost forever. God grant your grace and move
in each heart. It’s in Jesus name that we pray.