Leading The Way

Narrator: Are you ready for a lesson in faith from the life of the father of a dying boy? If so, stay with Dr. Michael Youssef for Leading the Way Audio.

Dr. Michael Youssef: This man's faith on behalf of his son is recorded here in the word of God, in the scripture, for all generations to read and to learn from it. This man's persistence in prayer on behalf of his family, on behalf of his son, is a reminder for all fathers and for all mothers to remind us again the way God responds to this type of faith.

Narrator: Welcome to Leading the Way with international Bible teacher Dr. Michael Youssef. When children are sick, parents will do anything to get them to a place of comfort and healing. And that's the case with the man and the boy you'll be introduced to today.

An officer in the court of King Herod, referred to as a nobleman, realized that the only hope for his son is Jesus. And his faith as a dad will bring you encouragement, especially if you long for healing in your family or your faith. Here now is Dr. Michael Youssef in John chapter four, taking you into this episode of Leading the Way Audio.

Dr. Michael Youssef: It's become a trend of late for some of our television networks to run public service announcements emphasizing children. One of them actually concludes with words like "put children first" or "children must come first." And everybody says, "Well, isn't that great?" I’m not really sure. You say, "Wait a minute. How come any emphasis on children could not be just good?" Because their emphasis and the philosophy that's underpinning their emphasis is wrong. That’s why.

It is wrong because they say that children and how they feel about themselves is more important than anything else. So you have kids who can't read or write, but as long as they feel good about themselves. How can they feel good about themselves? They can't add or they can't subtract, but that doesn't matter as long as they have a positive self-image. How can they have a positive self-image when they are lousy academically? See, the underpinning philosophy is lousy. It is wrong. And sadly, I want to tell you, there are so many well-meaning churches that have fallen into that trap, that have followed that trend.

It's sad because when the emphasis is on pride and not God's glory, we're in trouble. When the emphasis is on our own independence, not our dependence on God, we're in deep trouble. When the emphasis is on believing in the children rather than believing God on behalf of the children, we are really in trouble. I want to tell you something. I looked in the scripture from cover to cover for just this exercise for this week. I have not seen anywhere in the scripture the Bible said make kids feel good about themselves.

I have not found anywhere it said the most important thing about kids is self-esteem. I have not found anything that the most important things about children is that they have a positive self-image. But I'll tell you what I found out. I found out that parents have been asked by God to instruct their children in the word of God. I found that the parents are instructed by God to teach the children the truth about God and the truth about the facts of history. I’ve seen over and over again that this is the instruction of the word of God to parents.

You know why? You know why? Because when kids are instructed in the word of God, and when parents do their job in bringing up children in the fear and nurture of the Lord, they're going to feel good about themselves. We emphasize all these good things, quote-unquote. And we end up with guns and violence in schools. We end up with immorality in schools simply because we are denying reality. And reality is that the horse has to come first, not the cart.

Believing God on behalf of your children, on behalf of your family, is what I want to talk about today. I know this is an important message. I know that the devil did not want me to preach this message, and I won't bore you with the details. But I believe with all my heart on the authority of God's word that the reason we have a crisis of faith regarding our families is because we have placed our confidence in the right techniques. We have placed our confidence on the right methodology. We have placed our confidence on the right programs.

There is nothing wrong with these. I am not criticizing them willy-nilly. The question for all of us is this: Do we believe God for our children and for our families? Or do we put our faith in technology? Do we persevere in faith on behalf of our families, or would we run around looking for a formula? Looking for a secret of success? Looking for a pill that's going to make your kids turn out to be okay?

If you look at John chapter four, beginning at verse 46, you're going to find an example of a father. He did not know much. Did not understand a great deal about Jesus. He did not comprehend quite a bit, actually. But he had one thing going for him. He had faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. This man's faith on behalf of his son is recorded here in the word of God, in the scripture, for all generations to read and to learn from it.

This man's believing on behalf of his family is recorded in the words of the scripture as a model for all fathers and all mothers. This man's persistence in prayer on behalf of his family and on behalf of his son is a reminder for all fathers and for all mothers to remind us again the way God responds to this type of faith. This man, this nobleman, this high government official, came to Jesus. And when he came to Jesus, he came as a result of a crisis faith. That's what I call crisis faith. Faith that is born out of a crisis.

This member of King Herod's cabinet could have afforded all the medicine that money can buy. But this crisis in his family, this illness of his son, was beyond human help. It was an impossibility for medicine. It's an impossibility for doctors. It is impossible for medicine to work in this condition. It is a crisis faith. And when that faith was born, it was a baby faith. And when that baby faith was born, it soon gave way to continuing faith.

The Bible says he implored Jesus to come and heal his son. In fact, one translation said this man besought Jesus. I looked it up in the original language. What it really means is a clear indication of this man's persistence in his request. In fact, it is in the continuous tense. He is continuously asking the Lord Jesus. And then on the surface, you look at Jesus's response. Was he rebuffing him? No. Testing him? Yes, but not rebuffing him.

Somebody said if you really want to increase your faith, you must consent to the testing of faith. And here Jesus was testing this man. He really was. He was testing him. He wanted to know, is this just faith for a desperate need? Or is it a faith that is for good? He's testing this man. Is it temporary faith or is it permanent faith? Is it fleeting faith or is it a continuing faith?

Listen again very carefully, please. Believing God for your family must move from crisis faith to a continuing faith. Otherwise, there's something wrong with your faith. Believing in God for your family, not just when your family is in a crisis, not just when your family is in trouble, but daily, continuously believing God, trusting God. Not just when you need a way out of difficulties in life, but consistently believing the God who promised and believing the promises of God on behalf of your family.

This nobleman's crisis faith gave way to continuing faith and therefore, it developed into a confident faith. John chapter four, verse 50. Jesus replied, "You may go, your son will live." What happened? The man believed the words of Jesus that he spoke and he went on his way. Isn't that full of simplicity? Okay. Now, you've got to read something a little below, stuck away there, that unless you really look for it, you miss it.

Confident faith takes God at His word. Confident faith trusts God even when you cannot see evidence. Confident faith does not doubt in the dark what God has already revealed in the light. Doubt is the enemy of faith. I want to make a statement and I want you to listen carefully, please. Doubt attacks every one of us. You say, "You mean you get attacked?" Oh, you better believe I get attacked all the time. Are you kidding?

When I get up in the morning and I'm not attacked, there's something wrong. And if I go the end of the day and there's no attack from the enemy, I begin to worry because, you see, the enemy, if I'm walking with Him, we walk in the same direction. He's not attacking me. But if I'm walking against him and I'm walking in the opposite direction, he's going to try his hardest. So the enemy who brings you doubt, doubt constantly needs to be weeded out.

Weeds need to be uprooted on a daily basis. Don't let them grow on because they're going to take roots and they become difficult to pull out. But you grow the grass of God through the grace of God and you get rid of that weed. Pull them out on a daily basis. How do you then eradicate this termite of doubt that is constantly trying to undermine the foundation of faith? Three things, very quickly.

First of all, develop a big vision for a big God. Until your vision about God is right and the bigness of God, you're going to have trouble. Secondly, exercise faith. Don't just live on the faith of others. Don't try to live on the faith of yesterday. Develop daily faith, daily walk. Exercise your own faith. Test God's words. Take God at His promise and to see what God can do.

Someone said something that really, I love it. He said faith is like a toothbrush. Everyone should have their own. Number two, use it regularly. Number three, you should never use somebody else's. I say amen to that. Third thing, have someone to walk with you the walk of faith. You cannot do it alone. Crisis faith, when it gives way to continuing faith, it will develop into a confident faith. But then you will find that confident faith becomes a confirmed faith.

This member of Herod's court believed God for his family. He trusted Jesus's word and therefore it became confirmed later on. Remember I said there is something down there in that passage below that's tucked away that you would not notice if you don't really dig for it? I deliberately left this up in the air so make you think what is it. Some of you might have discovered it already. When he was talking to his servants, they said, "Yesterday such and such happened yesterday."

Yesterday. What happened? When Jesus said, "Your son is healed," this man didn't go home. Say, "I'd better go and find out. Is he really telling me the truth?" No, no. He went on. He spent the night somewhere else. He slept like a baby, in fact, even in a strange bed. He didn't go home the same day. Why? Because he knew that in this confident faith it will sooner or later be confirmed. Hello. You with me? Sooner or later God will confirm it.

You just keep on trusting Him. Ted DeMoss, one of the great one-on-one evangelists, a great businessman from Chattanooga, Tennessee, he tells the story of how one day he went to do business with a man who was in his house. This man was in his 70s. And in the course of conversation, Ted could never talk about business without bringing Jesus into the conversation. He shared Christ with this man. And this man goes on his knees and says, "I want to receive Christ in my life right now." He said, "Boy, that's easy."

After they prayed, he said, "Man, I can't wait to tell my mother." His mother? This man is 75. He went into the kitchen and here is this precious lady in her 90s. She had prayed for her son for 70 some years to receive Christ. And it took that long. She never failed. She never failed in trusting God. She never failed, she never gave up praying. Without seeing evidence, she kept on praying. Without seeing results, she kept on praying.

How many times have you and I given up? Do you have an unbelieving spouse? Do you have an unbelieving father? Do you have an unbelieving mother? Do you have an unbelieving child? Do you have an unbelieving grandchild? Let me tell you something. God has a purpose for your unbelieving children. God has a covenant with families. Does the devil come to you constantly and say, "Stop praying for them?" Does he come in and bring doubt into your life and say, "Forget about praying for them, nothing is going to happen?"

Tell them I have a covenant with God. Tell them that in First Corinthians chapter seven, verses 14, 15, and 16, God made a promise that when one person becomes a believer in Jesus Christ, that God has a purpose for that whole family. If God, before the age of grace and the death of the Lord Jesus Christ, heard the prayers of Abraham when he interceded for such a rascal as his nephew Lot in Sodom and Gomorrah? If God heard his prayer of intercession, will He not hear your believing faith in Him on behalf of your family?

Friends, let me tell you something. If Solomon messed up royally and God said to him, "I am blessing you because of David." And if God blesses Solomon because of David, will He not bless your forbear because of your faithful prayer and intercession for them? When this nobleman came home, they said the servants came to meet him. You know because I have somewhat first-hand experience of that culture, I can tell you, I’m convinced in my own mind, they probably went out that day and they thought he's going to come back that day but he didn't.

I bet they stayed out at the city gate all night waiting for him to come back. "What's wrong with him? Where is he? I mean, he needs to come and see what's happened here." And then they probably were arguing among themselves. "I've got to tell him." "No, no, I've got to tell him." "Let me tell him." I mean, they were just literally couldn't wait to tell him. "He's not going to believe it. This is incredible good news. He's just not going to believe what we're going to tell him."

So he comes in and as soon as they see him, they jump up and down and said, "Boss, let me tell you." This Mr. Cool customer looks at them and he says, "When did this happen?" "Boss, who cares when it happened? We want you to know. Aren't you excited? Does it really matter when it happened?" Oh, yes, it does. It does matter when it happened because it was not a coincidence. Because it is not just a happenstance. Because it was not just an accident. Because it must have happened the very moment that Jesus said, "Go home, your son is living."

When a crisis of faith becomes continuous faith and develops into a confident faith, it produces confirmed faith. But naturally and ultimately, it has to be a contagious faith. You see, if this not become a contagious faith, there's something wrong with that faith. If you're keeping it a secret, there's something wrong, not in the faith itself or in the object of faith, which is the Lord, but in the container of faith. Because that faith has to be a contagious faith.

You have to spread the germs of faith. Look at verse 53. When the nobleman confirmed the healing of his son, the Bible said he and all his household believed. In the West, because we have developed this rugged individualism, because that culture of individualism—not individuality but individualism—because that has become such an important part of our culture, what have we done? We took that into our faith.

Now, don't misunderstand me. I believe every individual is responsible for his or her faith. Everyone will give an account for their own life. But nonetheless, there is biblical culture, there is biblical teaching that is called household faith. And we tend to ignore that and we tend to move away from that because of the culture, not because of the scripture. If I know anything about the scripture, if I understand anything about the covenant-making God, it is this.

That God works with families. That God wants to work in families. That God blesses whole families. That God deals with families. That God wants whole families to follow Him in worship. And that is why we must believe God for our family. You see, our faith is not this kind of blind stupidity. No, no, no. Our faith is based on a promise. And in the promise of God that as I understand it, that when one comes to the kingdom, somehow the rest of the family is sanctified. That means they somehow in the economy of God, God has a purpose for them.

Because of God's word, we believe it. We trust Him for it. Throughout the book of Acts, we see one incident after another. I can give you many, but three of them that literally stare at me in the face. In chapter 10 of the book of Acts, Cornelius, the very first Gentile to become a Christian. The Bible said when he believed the words of the Apostle Peter, he and his whole household believed and were baptized.

In the book of Acts chapter 16, the Philippian jailer, some of you might remember when he was about to commit suicide and Paul said, "Don't." The Bible said that he and his whole household believed and they were baptized. And then again in Acts 16, Lydia, this smart businesswoman in Philippi. The Bible said when she believed, she and her whole household believed and were baptized. God wants us to believe Him for our families.

Narrator: Lessons in faith through the life of a nobleman and Dr. Michael Youssef. Thank you for taking time for Leading the Way. We stand at a crossroads of history and we can walk through these doors of opportunities that God has opened for us or we can do nothing. We have the choice.

Leading the Way continues its five-year mission to passionately proclaim the uncompromising truth of Christ in three strategic areas where the need is greatest and the doors are open. In North America, where only 4% of adults have a biblical worldview and where distractions and false religions are gaining a foothold, we are delivering solid biblical teaching through every media platform available.

We continue to pray for a spiritual awakening in the Western church, asking the Lord to mobilize believers to stand firm for uncompromising biblical truth in their homes, churches, and communities.

Dr. Michael Youssef: The answer, it is not frustration, but proclamation of the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ and holding that truth uncompromisedly.

Narrator: The Middle East is home to 68% of the world's unreached people groups. We are proclaiming the gospel in areas with the most need through our Kingdom SAT TV channel, outreach events, audio, printed and digital content, and our strategically positioned field teams. We must take the gospel to those who have never heard it.

42% of the world's population lives in remote villages without gospel truth. Technology and language barriers have cut them off from the message. Your support will help us reach these isolated areas.

Dr. Michael Youssef: I made a vow to God that as long as He gives me a breath, that I will proclaim Him and His truth of His gospel until my dying day. Will you go through it with me?

Narrator: Join Dr. Youssef in this bold five-year mission to passionately proclaim uncompromising truth in three strategic areas. It's the Open Door Campaign. Go to LTW.org to learn more. LTW.org. You can also speak with a ministry representative when you call 866-626-4356. That's 866-626-4356.

And you can also write to us. Send Dr. Youssef a note or a postcard just letting him know what this ministry means to you. Include a prayer request and if you'd like to give a gift to the ministry, include that as well. Write to Leading the Way, Post Office Box 20100, Atlanta, Georgia, 30325. That's Post Office Box 20100, Atlanta, Georgia, 30325. This program is furnished by Leading the Way with Dr. Michael Youssef.