Guest Preacher:
Dr. Raphaël Anzenberger
General Secretary, French Baptist Union of Canada
Speed Dating Non-Christians to Jesus: The Seven Signs of John
Sermon Summary: This sermon presents a practical and reproducible evangelism method called "Seven Signs of John in Seven Weeks," in which a believer reads one of the seven miraculous signs recorded in the Gospel of John with a non-Christian friend each week, allowing Scripture itself to draw the unbeliever toward faith in Christ. The speaker argues that John recorded these signs specifically so that readers would come to believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and receive life in his name (John 20:31). Moving through each sign rapidly, the preacher draws out a distinct theological truth from each miracle, building a progressive case for faith. The sermon emphasizes that true saving faith is not about seeking signs or escaping the consequences of sin, but about trusting Christ, submitting to his lordship, and receiving healing from sin itself. The method is presented as simple enough for a thirteen-year-old to use, and the speaker urges every believer to have confidence that Scripture, not the evangelist, does the work of drawing people to God.
Key Points:
- The seven signs in the Gospel of John were written specifically so that readers would believe Jesus is the Christ and have life in his name
- The first sign, water turned to wine, teaches that obedience to Christ -- even when it seems absurd -- is the pathway to witnessing his miraculous work
- The second sign, the healing of the official's son, demonstrates that genuine faith means trusting Christ's word without requiring visible proof first
- The third sign, the healing at the pool of Bethesda, reveals that Jesus is more concerned with healing people from sin than from the consequences of sin, and that sin begins with refusing personal responsibility
- The fourth sign, the feeding of the five thousand, shows that impossible situations are often divine tests, and the right question is not "how" but "where" -- pointing to Christ as the source
- The fifth sign, Jesus walking on water, illustrates that Christ is sovereign over every domain, including what people consider their area of greatest mastery or security
- The sixth sign, healing the man born blind, presents three progressive confessions -- "a man," "a prophet," "my Lord" -- and calls the unbeliever to make an informed, personal declaration about who Jesus is
- The seventh sign, the raising of Lazarus, addresses disappointment with God's apparent delay and calls for belief in Christ as the resurrection and the life even when circumstances seem hopeless
- Christian moralism applied before regeneration is ineffective; ethical transformation follows new birth, not the other way around
- Scripture itself is more qualified than any evangelist to lead people to faith; confidence in evangelism must rest in the power of God's word
Scripture Reference:
- John 2:1-11 -- the wedding at Cana, water turned to wine (first sign)
- John 4:46-54 -- the healing of the royal official's son (second sign)
- John 5:1-15 -- the healing of the invalid at the pool of Bethesda (third sign)
- John 6:1-14 -- the feeding of the five thousand (fourth sign)
- John 6:16-21 -- Jesus walking on water (fifth sign)
- John 9:1-38 -- the healing of the man born blind (sixth sign)
- John 11 -- the raising of Lazarus, with Christ's declaration as the resurrection and the life (seventh sign)
Stories:
- Raphaël describes the servants at the wedding at Cana walking toward the master of the feast carrying jars filled with water, not wine, and contemplating that they are likely about to lose their jobs -- yet choosing to obey in the face of absurdity, which serves as an illustration of active, obedient faith
- Raphaël recounts personal experiences using the Seven Signs method with non-Christian friends and observing that by the third week, those friends had developed their own conviction of needing healing from sin, even before coming to faith
- A humorous parenting anecdote is used to illustrate humanity's tendency to bargain over the consequences of sin rather than address sin itself, with the speaker describing a child negotiating the number of weeks without video games after hitting a sibling, while the underlying issue of sin goes unaddressed
- Raphaël references his own son leading a thirteen-year-old friend through the Seven Signs of John, presenting it as evidence that the method is accessible to any believer regardless of age or experience
- Chuck Swindoll is quoted to the effect that people are constantly faced with incredible opportunities brilliantly disguised as impossible situations, applied to the miracle of the feeding of the five thousand
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