40 DAYS AT JESUS FEET DAY 29 "TAKE GOD SERIOUSLY"

TODAY IS DAY 29 Jesus heals the official's son

Reading : John 4:46-54

Today' miracle is about an official belonging to the court of Herod Antipas whose son was sick. 

When he heard that Jesus had come out of Judea into Galilee, he traveled 20 miles (32 km like 8 hours walking distance) to see Christ. He went to Him and began imploring Him to come down to Capernaum to heal his son, for he was at the point of death. 

In verse 48 it is written that "Jesus said to him, 'Unless you people see signs and wonders, you simply will not believe.'" The official then said, "Sir, come down before my child dies." 

In verse 50, Jesus said to him, 'Go; your son lives.' The man took Jesus at his Word spoken to him and started off."

Before he got home, his slaves met him and said that his son was alive. When the official asked the hour when his son began to get better, they said, "Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him." According to the New American Standard Version, this was perhaps 7:00 p.m. Roman time. "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." (Verse 53). 

Jesus was 20 miles away from the sick boy, and yet he was healed from a distance by a word from Jesus' mouth.

From this miracle, this official is teaching us ONE THING : "HOW SERIOUSLY YOU TAKE JESUS DETERMINES HOW SERIOUSLY JESUS WILL TAKE YOU AND YOUR PRAYERS"

4 things show that you take Jesus seriously :

• IF YOU TAKE JESUS SERIOUSLY, YOU WILL NEVER OFFER HIM WHAT COSTS YOU NOTHING 

• IF YOU TAKE JESUS SERIOUSLY, YOU WILL SHOW GREAT REVERENCE AND RESPECT TO HIM 

• IF YOU TAKE JESUS SERIOUSLY, YOU WILL NEVER STRUGGLE TO LAY DOWN YOUR WILL TO EMBRACE HIS WILL 

• IF YOU TAKE JESUS SERIOUSLY, YOU WILL ALSO TAKE HIS WORD (WHATEVER HE TELLS YOU) SERIOUSLY

PRAYER GUIDELINES

1st POINT/  IF YOU TAKE JESUS SERIOUSLY, YOU WILL NEVER OFFER HIM WHAT COSTS YOU NOTHING 

    

 The official paid the price by travelling a long distance (32 Km) from Capernaum to Cana just to meet Jesus and intercede for his dying son (John 4:46)

    Question/ How do you attend the church meetings ? How do you attend the bible studies? How do you attend the fellowship gatherings? Is it your custom to wake up early to offer to the Lord the first hours of your days in prayer? Do you offer to the Lord the best or the left over ?

PRAY FOR THE GRACE OF SERIOUSNESS

David says in 2 Samuel 24:24 "I won't offer the LORD my God burnt sacrifices that cost me nothing"

Father, help me to display seriousness in my relationship with you and in every area of my life so that I can be a living testimony of your doings in Jesus' name! 

2nd POINT/  IF YOU TAKE JESUS SERIOUSLY, YOU WILL SHOW GREAT REVERENCE AND RESPECT TO HIM

Though the official was a notable man in the country, he does not comes to Jesus full of himself but he comes with a deep sens of humility, respect and reverence  (John 4:46)   

In John 4:47, he beseeches Jesus to come home and heal his son
In John 4:49, he calls Jesus "Sir"

Questions/ Are you respectful to God during the service in church ? Are you respectful to God during your personal devotion? Are you respectful toward the servants of God? Do you serve God with awe? Do you come to the presence of the Lord with reverence? Do you have a humble heart? Or are you fuul of yourself?

PRAY TO BE FORGIVEN FOR LACK OF REVERENCE TOWARD THE LORD

It is written in Hebrews 12:28 "Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear:29  For our God is a consuming fire.

Father, I pray you to forgive me anytime I served and offered my prayers, my devotions and my offerings carelessly and disrepectfully. From henceforth, I pray that you may help me to never ever serve you with the leftover but with the best so that my service can be acceptable to you in Jesus Name!

3rd POINT/  IF YOU TAKE JESUS SERIOUSLY, YOU WILL NEVER STRUGGLE TO LAY DOWN YOUR WILL TO EMBRACE HIS WILL

The official requests Jesus to travel with him upto Capernaum to heal his son. Instead of going with him, Jesus prefers to send his Word to do the work in Capernaum.

In John 4:50, Jesus saith unto him, "Go thy way, thy son liveth"

Question / What are your motives when you come to the Lord, ? Do you come to the Lord with your own protocole or are you flexible enough to submit to the protocole of the Lord ?

PRAY TO BE ENABLED TO BE FLEXIBLE

It is written in Matthew 26:42 "He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done."

Father, I lay down my onw will to embrace your will. I give up my own ways to embrace your ways. I forsake my own protocole to submit to yours. Thy will be done in my life in Jesus name!

4th POINT/  IF YOU TAKE JESUS SERIOUSLY, YOU WILL ALSO TAKE HIS WORD (WHATEVER HE TELLS YOU) SERIOUSLY

Though Jesus doesn't go with him physically as he was expecting, the official believes the word that Jesus has spoken and goes back home with it.

QUESTION /  Do you take the Word Jesus speaks to you seriously? Do you meditate on it? Do you declare it? Do you act on it? Do you expect it to be fulfilled? Or do you take more seriously the reports of the doctors? the reports of the politicians? 

PRAY TO BE ENABLED BY THE LORD TO BELIEVE EACH WORD THAT PROCEEDETH FROM HIS MOUTH

It is written in John 4:50 (NIV) “Go,” Jesus replied, “your son will live.”The man took Jesus at his word and departed.

Father, I praise you because you are true and you never lie. I praise you because you are ever reliable and trustworthy. I therefore pray that you help me and enable me to fully trust you and each Word you speak to me so that my desired miracle can be fully delivered in Jesus Name!

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IN THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST ! 

JESUS IS LORD ! 

Pastor T.D. KASUKU K.K.

The Word Of Life Church International

Nairobi/Kenya