Matthew 28:16-20
Luke 7:1-10
“But say the word……….”
By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God
By faith we understand that God spoke and stuff was created from nothing,
By faith we understand that when God said “Let there be light”…there was light.
By faith we understand that God said “Let there be land”…… and there was land…..
Now I am guessing that no-one was there, when God spoke and made stuff out of nothing….I know I wasn’t.
Perhaps some of you, older folk were there!
I reckon it would be hard to prove that God spoke and he created stuff out of nothing.
What we see all around us, all of creation, was made out of things we can’t see, God made it all from nothing……
And this is where faith comes in right?
Because faith is not only the assurance of things hoped for in the future, but it is the conviction of things not seen.
Faith is trusting in things which we can’t see with our own eyes, but we know is true.
Like Jesus, the foundation of our faith!
We don’t have Jesus, physically walking around with us on this earth now, like he did 2,000 years ago in the middle east, and yet all of our hopes, all of our faith centres on the certainty that Jesus- the God- man, rose from the dead, ascended to heaven and one day will return to this earth to gather his people.
We place all our faith, all our hope in this God-man Jesus, whom we cannot see.
We live by faith, we trust in God.
And don’t think that the prophets of old, the prophets B.C- Before Christ, didn’t also live by faith- they did.
Don’t think, that just because God spoke to the prophets directly in the days of old, before the Messiah came to this earth, that they too didn’t have to trust in things which they couldn’t see with their own eyes.
The prophets of old constantly lived by the conviction of things they could not see.
By faith, Noah, being warned by God about the world flood event which was still to come, in reverent fear constructed an ark for the saving of his household. Noah trusted God at his word and lived his life under the authority of God’s word, as he built the ark. He had the assurance that God was going to keep his promise of the flood and he had the conviction that the flood was going to come, even though he didn’t see it for another 120 years, as he pieced the ark together, day after day, year after year.
By faith, Abraham went to a country that God promised he was going to give him, even though he had no idea where he was going, even though he had never seen that promised land before. And yet Abraham had the assurance that the land, God promised him, was there, even though he couldn’t see it. Abraham trusted God and lived under the authority of God’s word.
Today, as we come to this passage of Luke, we are going to meet a man who astonished Jesus with his faith. And this man wasn’t a prophet, he wasn’t a priest, heck, he wasn’t even an Israelite, but in fact he was a Roman soldier- a foreigner- a perceived enemy of God’s people.
Look at what Jesus said about this man…..Look at verse 9 with me:
When Jesus heard these things, he marvelled at him (the Roman soldier), and turning to the crowd that followed him, said, “I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith”
Jesus, said that this man, this Roman centurion, this perceived enemy of God’s people: had displayed more faith in Jesus, than any of his own people (the Israelites) had shown.
What exactly had this man done to amaze Jesus with his faith in him?
He had done this…….
And let this be an encouragement to us all.
Even though this man- this Roman Solider, had the opportunity to see Jesus with his own eyes and had the opportunity to ask Jesus to physically go to his house and see and touch his servant who was sick……he didn’t……
Instead, by faith, this centurion was assured that the word of Jesus was enough to heal his servant. By faith this centurion knew that Jesus just had to speak the word and his servant would be well. This centurion trusted Jesus at his word and lived under the authority of his word.
By faith, this centurion didn’t need to see Jesus touch and heal his servant, this centurion was convinced of the things he couldn’t see- He was convinced that the word of Jesus was enough….he was assured that Jesus could heal his servant.
What a contrast this man’s faith was to the faith of Mary and Martha in their time of distress.
Remember when the brother of Mary and Martha- Lazarus had died and Jesus turned up at their house few days late. Lazarus had been dead for 4 days and the first thing Martha said to Jesus was this , “Lord if you had been here, my brother would not have died”. And Mary said exactly the same thing, “If you had just been physically here with us, this wouldn’t have happened….my brother would still be alive”
Both Mary and Martha, needed to see Jesus physically with their brother in order for them to heal him, and yet this centurion didn’t need to see Jesus physically present with his servant to heal him. He had assurance in the mere word of Jesus. He was convicted that the word of Jesus was enough and so he lived under the authority of the word of Jesus.
No wonder- Jesus marvelled at the faith of this centurion.
Remember the story of Thomas, one of Jesus disciples?
Jesus had risen from the dead and had appeared to all his disciples afterwards, apart from Thomas. The disciples told Thomas that they had seen the risen Jesus but Thomas didn’t believe them- he wanted proof, he wanted to see with his own eyes that Jesus was alive. And Thomas, famously said , “unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger in the mark of nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe”
Of course, we know that Jesus did show Thomas his marks in his hand, and Thomas did place his hands in his side where he was pierced and Thomas believed, he fell at the feet of Jesus and cried, My Lord, My God.
Thomas believed because he saw Jesus.
And yet Jesus didn’t commend Thomas for his faith, hence why Thomas is known as doubting Thomas, not….. believing Thomas.
But Jesus made the point that he only believed because he saw Jesus and that those who haven’t seen Jesus, that is us, and yet believe, are blessed.
This is faith: being convicted of things which we cannot see.
I still remember the conversation I had with my neighbour at the back of my house when I was 8 years old. His name was POB, because he had big ears. Anyway, I remember debating with POB at 8, the existence of God, and after quite a robust conversation, POB eventually said, “well if God exists, if God is real, then I need to see some proof, I want him to change me into a bird. If God is real, after 10 seconds he will change me into a bird”
POB started to count backwards from 10.
I remember my little 8-year-old brain praying hard that God would turn him into a bird, but not a big bird that would attack me, and then for him to change back to POB after a few minutes because I liked POB.
POB eventually got down to 0 and he was still POB.
POB had proved to himself that God did not exist, since he hadn’t been changed to a bird, God had not submitted himself to POB’S authority and fulfilled his request- and so in POBs mind God clearly did not exist.
For this centurion that day, he never ever asked or demanded that Jesus bow to his authority, but this centurion knew that he was the one under the authority of Jesus and he knew that he was unworthy to demand anything from Jesus, even though his Jewish elder mates thought he was more than worthy, and almost demanded Jesus to help him.
Let us look at the contrasting attitudes of the Centurion’s Jewish friends and the centurion himself.
Look at verses 4 and 5 with me:
4 And when they (elders of the Jews) came to Jesus, they pleaded with him earnestly, saying, “He is worthy to have you do this for him, 5 for he loves our nation, and he is the one who built us our synagogue.”
The Jewish elders wanted Jesus to heal the centurion’s servant because they thought he was worthy. They thought if anyone deserved their request to be met, it was this fine bloke- the Roman Centurion.
And why?
Because as an “enemy” of Israel, this Roman Centurion had shown kindness to the Jews, he loved them, he built them a place of worship.
This Centurion was a top bloke.
Not only did he show love for his “enemies” but he showed love for his servant.
Most Roman centurion’s considered slaves as an asset that they owned, and so if a servant was no longer an asset because they were sick, they would often be killed, or tossed to the side. But this Roman centurion was different, he loved his enemies, he loved his slaves and perhaps even more remarkably, he considered himself unworthy for Jesus to enter his own house. He knew that Jesus was the superior authority, even more superior than the Roman Emperor himself, and so he knew he was inferior compared to Jesus. He didn’t feel worthy to have one greater than the Roman Emperor enter his humble abode.
Look at verses 6 and 7 with me:
6 And Jesus went with them. When he was not far from the house, the centurion sent friends, saying to him, “Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you come under my roof. 7 Therefore I did not presume to come to you. But say the word, and let my servant be healed.
This Centurion clearly believed that Jesus was the one who had authority over him, and who had authority over sickness. This is why he didn’t approach Jesus himself. Often, when an inferior went to meet a superior, an envoy would be sent before them.
Friends, this centurion had a right humble attitude.
He knew he wasn’t worthy to receive anything good from Jesus.
He knew that he didn’t deserve anything good from Jesus.
He didn’t bargain with Jesus about the place of worship he built his people, he didn’t bargain with Jesus, how he loved his people- no, he knew he deserved nothing good from Jesus.
And so, he approached Jesus in total surrender to his authority.
A kind of surrender which acknowledges that Jesus can do anything because he is God, and yet also acknowledges that He does whatever he chooses to do, and whatever he chooses is good.
This centurion not only knew how to submit to the authority of Jesus, but he also knew how to exercise authority over others.
Look at verse 8 with me:
For I too am a man set under authority, with soldiers under me: and I say to one, “Go” and he goes, and to another “come” and he comes, and to my servant “do this” and he does it.
This centurion was in the chain of command of the Roman Emperor. As a centurion, he had authority over 100 soldiers whom he gave orders to, and in turn had tribunes or prefects who had authority over him.
This authority and submission in the Roman Empire worked well, since it was driven by fear. The Roman Empire was the greatest empire that this world has ever known and it ran through an authority and submission chain, that was probably driven by fear. Fear of death or punishment from the authority above.
Unfortunately, the Roman Empire was also one of many examples where authority and submission were abused by those in power to elevate those in power and crush those under them.
And perhaps, today we are at a point in history where the pendulum has swung completely the other way, where all authority is questioned.
I know many teachers that I speak to, feel that they don’t have the authority in the classrooms anymore. Police don’t feel they have the authority to carry out their jobs any more. Parents don’t even believe they have the authority to parent their children.
Friends I want to encourage you today, again to trust in the authority of God’s word, trust in the authority of scripture, trust in the authority of the bible.
Any authority I have as the pastor of this flock, comes from the authority of the scriptures. If I ever teach anything which doesn’t come from the scriptures, then please ignore it- it is not teaching which carries God’s authority if it doesn’t come from the bible.
Because as the bible is taught, it is the word of God which is being taught, it is the same word of God, that spoke at the beginning of time, it is the same word of God which creates and sustains life, which still speaks to us today by his spirit through his word.
And so, friends this is what God speaks to us today through his word.
And just like the centurion, we just have to trust and take God at his word, take God at his word when it comes to authority and submission.
Jesus said as recorded in Matthew 28:18
“All authority in heaven and earth has been given to me”
If you believe that all authority in heaven and earth had been given to Jesus, then, it means that if you have any issues with the people that have been put in authority over you, then you must take it to Jesus- the one with the ultimate authority. It also means that if we believe that Jesus has been given all authority, then we should follow the command which he gives straight after this statement……. to go and make disciples of all nations.
All authority belongs to Jesus……now go…..go and …….
Make disciples, tell people about Jesus.
We don’t need or demand Jesus to give us proof of his authority……NO……… we have faith that we are convinced about the things we can’t see and we are assured of the promises to come- and so we get on with what Jesus had told us to do.
He has spoken the word- that is enough.
I just want to finish with this point at the end of the story.
The centurion’s servant was healed, he was healed when Jesus spoke the word. The healing of the servant was almost an add on at the end of the story. The story that Doctor Luke told wasn’t emphasising the result of the healing, but he was emphasising the faith of the centurion.
What a great lesson that is for us.
The lesson is this:
We should be more concerned of what is going on in our hearts than the outward results,
Why?
Because sometimes what we may see doesn’t always reflect of what is really going on.
Sometimes our eyes, our physical eyes can deceive us.
God is more pleased that we keep trusting and obeying Him more than anything else.
Hebrews 11:6 tells us that without faith it is impossible to please God.
And so, if you are serving God in some ministry, a kids’ ministry, a bible study, a serving ministry, God is more concerned with your faithfulness to him, than how many people attend those things.
If you are praying for a loved one who is sick, I want to encourage you, not to look at the results, your loved one may be getting sicker, but instead focus on the things which you can’t see, the strengthening of their faith, the inward self which is being renewed day by day, your faith which grows in Jesus, your love for your loved one…..I want to encourage you to be assured of the things you can’t see.
Be convinced that in sickness or in health Jesus is right there with us, he is with us to the end of the age.
How do we know that Jesus is with us?
He spoke this promise to us…..he said the word………
I am with you always, to the end of the age
Let us pray
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